The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-10-15 00:00:00

Scotlanb.

STEAMER FREAK Or A GLASGOW Gin or SIXTEEN.
—One of the provision dealers at Glasgow was lately in
want of • shop assistant, and placed an intimation
announcing this in the window. Among the applicants
was one who apparently, from manner and address, was
suitable, and who was accordingly engaged. AU went
on for • few days in the usual course—the lad giving
rather extra satisfaction. Some little things by and
bye, however, came out, which the hones*, unsuspect-
ing provision dealer thought • little strange, when an
intimation from the landlady of the house in which the
young men had gone to hid'. was given him that she
wished to see him. A meeting of the landlady and the
provision dealer was at once got, when he was told that
his young active Linesman was of the feminine gender.
After • firm denial once or twice, the assistant—smart,
active and obliging—admitted that she was • young
girl of sixteen. The girl belongs to Glasgow, and her
parents and friends are in respectable circumstances.
The best part of the story is, that she has, in addition,
been personifying the part of a young stranger at some
"Revival" meetings, holding forth most eloquently, and
gaining the confidence of seine of the ministers as well
as of the patronising merchant princes, at whose table
she had occasionally dined. What makes the matter
the more wonderful is the fact that, after being dis-
missed from one shop, she passed herself off again as a
young man, and actually got • situation in another shop
where she probably might have been yet, but for an
Intimation, which also found its way there, announcing
her real sex. Her parentage has been discovered, and
the has been taken beck to her parents.
ANOTHER ROMANCE IN REAL Lint—The law MIAS
In Edinburgh are likely soon to disclose the facts of •
case in many respects most peculiar. The principal
party or hero in the story is a gentleman of much
wealth, mid moving in the highest circles of society.
About thirty year' ago this gentlemen contracted an in.
timacy with a girl of humble but respectable parents,
and the result was, as alleged, " • little stranger." Like
many young men plated in similar circumstancesl he
denied the paternity of the child. Legal proceedings
were instituted, which ended in the judges finding that
be had no defence, and that the child was his Closely
following this decision lie departed from this country,
and by careful industry in a honourable profession ac-
quired • large fortune and some little fame. A few
years ago he returned and settled down quietly in •
town in England, where we believe he now is. The
child meanwhile has grown up to manhood, has got
married, and in turn has • family of his own. Adver-
sity in business made him try to discover the where-
abouts of his parent, of whose fortune and success he
had heard. After several vain attempts he at last got
the proper direction, and was astonished beyond belief
to find that the almost palatial mansion before which he
stood one day was the residence of his father. He was
ushered by a lacquay into an apartment, on the Bras-
eels carpet in which he experienced feelings which ill-
&alerted with the mission on which he had set out. He
got at last face to face with his father, who angrily dis-
claimed the connection, and bade him depart. The case
for the law judges arisen at this point, and in this way.
The son having thus bees denied all hope of ever amic-
ably attaining his rights, has renewed an action cam.
rammed some years ago in the inferior courts, and which
after running the gauntlet of • thousand leapt forms,
was decided in his favour. The inquiry comes up,
therefore, before the supreme judicatory on advocatios
by the father ; and we are misinformed if it will not be
characterised by some interesting revelations.
EETIAORDLEART POWEE 011 MEMORY. —We record
In our obituary the death of a young man, William
Gordon, son of Mr. Gordon, farmer, Renaton. Front
his cradle he was very weak in all his bodily faculties,
and, although when a boy he could walk pretty well,
still, as he approached manhood, he became lees able to
do an, until latterly he was confined almost always to
his chair or bed. He wild see but very imperfectly, he
could speak but very weekly, and so indistinctly that
only those immediately about him could understand
what he said. Hews he was never taught to read.
However, it is probable that his mental faculties were
In inverse proportion to those of his body. Although
his memory had never undergone any exercise, still it
-displayed most unusual powers of retentiveness and
quickness. It is told, and upon authority that cannot
be doubted, that when any cvent took place about the
farm, or in the family, which it was desirable should be
registered, and which was otherwise sure to be for-
gotten, it was told to William, who never failed to re-
collect all about it, even day and date. Lay preachers
have frequently meetings at Renaton, and on one occa-
sion lately William was present, and afterwards greatly
astonished his friends by being able to repast almost
every word that had been said during the evening. In
the family of Renaton the Scriptures are rwlarly read,
and, from thus constantly hearing them, William was
said to have got by heart flinch of the Old and New
Testansents, and, having once heard if portion read, he
was able to correct any one when reading the 'lime
incorrectly. He was of • mild and amiable disposition,
and was greatly beloved by all members of his father's
family, and his midden removal by gastric fever has cast
• solemn gloom over the whole howie.—BawfJoureat.
Seinen "W.°— A curious illustration of that
inability to see • joke which has been attributed to
Sootchinen lies jest been furnished by the Rotbasay
small debt court, where an Ration was brought by
_George
Conine. proprietor of Use flute Hotel, liothesay,
against Robert Macfie, printer of the Helenas, for
having falsely, maliciously, and injuriously published
the following statement: "A serious fire broke out in
the Bete Hotel, entirely destroying the four storeys
of the western wing." Damages were laid at £lOO. The
" libel" appeared in • long article priporting Who" from
our special correspondent," and pretending to give es-
t:mete from the Daily Bateman of Ist September, 1961."
The plea of the defender, in answer to the charge, was
—" The action is premature. It relates to circumstances
to take pleas in 1961, and if this case is continued till
then I will be prepared to meet it," (Laughter.) The
sheriff said the article was quite an imaginary one, and
hs failed to disarmer •ny wallas in it. The action must
therefore be dismissed.