The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-04-10 00:00:00

AN OBLIGING DISPOSITION.

"There's nothing like an obliging disposition," I thought
to myself one day while travelling from Boston to Wor-
cester, seeing a gentleman putting himself to considerable
trouble to land another gentleman who had fallen asleep at
his destination. " Passenger for Needham !" cried out the
conductor. " The train stops but, one minute." "Hallo,"
exclaimed a young man in sp:ctacles, at the same time
seizing an old gentleman by the shoulders who was
sleeping very soundly, " Here's Captain Holmes fast asleep
and this is Needham where he lives. Come get up Captain
Holmes, here yon are." The gentleman got upon his feet,
and began to rub his eyes, but the young man forced him
along to the door of the carriage, and gently assisted him to
alight. Whizz went the steam, and we began to fly again,
and the obliging young man took his seat again, and
said, with a good deal of satisfaction to somebody
near him, "Well, if it hadn't been for me
Captain Holmes would have missed his home
finely. But here he has left his bundle," and the
young man picked up a paper parcel and threw it out
of the window, and directly discovered another bundle in
a handkerchief, which he also threw out. " Well," he
said again, " if it hadn't been for me Captain Holmes
would have missed his bundles finely. When we stopped
at the next station a lady began to rummage under the
seat where Captain Holmes had been sitting, and exclaimed
in great alarm, " I can't find my bundle." " Was it done
up in a sheet of brown paper ?" I asked. " Yes it was, to
be sure," said the lady. " Then," said I, " that young
man yonder threw it out of the window at the last station."
This led to a scene between the obliging young man and
the old lady, which ended in the former taking the
address of the latter, and promising to return the
package in a few days, provided he should find
it. " Well," said the obliging young man, " catch
me doing a good natured thing again. What can I do
for that old woman if I should not find her bundle P"
Whizz went the steam, ding, ding, went the bell, the
dust flew, and away we flew, as they say, like lightning,
until we arrived at the next station—l forget the name of
it, but it would be of no consequence could I remember it
—when an old gentleman started up and began to poke
under the seat where Capt. Holmes had sat. " What are you
looking for ?" I inquired: "Looking for!" said the old
gentleman, " why, for my bundle of clothes." " Was it
tied up in a pocket handkerchief ?" I asked. " Yes, and
nothing else," said the old man. " Good heavens !"
exclaimed the obliging young :man, " I threw it out of
the carriage at Needham ; I thought it belonged to
Captain Holmes." " Captain Holmes !" exclaimed the
old fellow with a look of despair, " who is Captain
Holmes ? The bundle contained all my clean clothes,
that I was to wear at my son's wedding to-morrow
morning. "Oh dear ! oh dear ! what can I do ?"
Nothing could be done but to give his address to the
obliging young man as before, and console himself with
a promise that the bundle should be returned to him,
provided it was ever found. The obliging young man
was now in despair, and made another solemn vow that be
would never attempt to oblige a man again; The next station
was his destination, and as he went towards the door of the
carriage he taw a silver headed cane, which he took hold of rind
read the inscription o❑ it, "Moses Holmes, East Needham"—
" Well," exclaimed the obliging young man, " if here isn't
Captain Holmes cane ?" " Yes," said a gentleman who got
in at the last station, " and the old fellow is lame too. He
will miss his stick." "Do you know him ?" enquired the
obliging young gentleman. " Know him ! I should think
so," replied the gentleman, " lie is my uncle ?" " And does
he live at East Needham ?" asked the obliging young gentle-
man. "Of course be does; he never lived anywhere else."
" Well, if that don't beat everything," said the obliging young
gentleman, " and I pot him out at Needham, just five miles the
other side of his home."—New York Journal of Commerce.

MERMAIDENS AND THEIR MTSTRESSES.—A number of
ladies attended at the Immigration Depot, on Wednesday for
the purpose of being engaged as mistresses by the seventy
female domestics who had arrived hither by the Mermaid.
The most rigid enquiries were instituted by the new comers as
to the habits, qualifications, establishments, and general
domestic economy of the mistresses requiring engagements ;
and ultimately the whole of the seventy consented to take as
many ladies upon trial, Punch has been favoured with a state-
ment of the terms upon which one of the contracts was effected,
aid is surprised at the want of appreciation of her own value
displayed by the gracious nod agree ible rmaiden. Bridget
Phelan, aged 25. (looks 37), native of Ballinasloe. Has one
cousin in the city police, and three in the mounted escort ; and
a 't power" of relations at Donnybrook (County of Bourke.)
Wages, £45 per annum ; with a whole holiday on Sundays and
every evening out. Objects to cold meat, washing, and young
children. Expects the mistress to undertake the cook-
ing and make the pastry ; and the young ladies
to make their own beds ; suffers occasionally from
low spirits, and likes to see her cousins to dinner or tea.
Will think it looks like suspicion on the part of her
mistress, if she locks up the wine cellar and the store
closet. Has been ordered to take exercise for the benefit
of her health, and hopes her mistress keeps a pony chaise.
Understands there are fancy balls in Melbourne, and
claims the right of attending them, Is rather particular
about dress, and will object to the young ladies copying
her style. Has a great aversion to late hours, parties, and
company in the dining or drawing room generally. Ha
heard the colonial ale is very bad, and was recommende d
by the ship's surgeon to drink nothing but bottled porter.
In the event of marrying from Mrs expects her
mistress to provide the wedding breakfast. Will engage
Mrs for a month upon liking ; and if the house is
cheerful and pleasant, the duties ight, and the society
agreeable, may consent to prolong the engagement, Is
rather warm tempered and doesn't like to be found fault
with. Can't say more at present:—Melbourne Punch.
RECOGNIZING THE DEAD.—Among the most harrowing
scenes attending this fearful catastrophe (the accident on
the Great Western of Canada) is the witnessing of the
unhappy relatives recognising the mangled remains of
husbands, fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters. Yester
day morning the wife of Mr. Morley arrived from St.
Catherine's to pick ont of the many dead his body. The
scene was heartrending as she passed from one dead body
to another, all marking death with greater horrors by
being more or less mangled. At last, one even more
distorted and mangled than the rest was come to, and a
wild scream but too well told her tale of woe; and in a
large storehouse, strewn with dead bodies, and with others
going the rounds to make similar heartrending discoveries,
was she left to kneel down and bewail her bereevement.
While on one side of the large building a row of bodies
was placed, as yet unrecognised, and questions were asked
of every new comer if he or she knew anything of them,
a sob or a moan would be heard in another part, indicating
that some one had come from a distance and found all her
sad expectations realised. Nor was the circumstance less
harrowing of passing the stranger by, who, far from his
home, and far from those who were dreaming of his return,
lay a mangled, unrecognised, unwept victim of a railroad
disaster. Here was evidently a poor Irish labourer ; his
pipe was still in his hand, and a smile played over his
kindly countenance. One passed, yet another, and still
another, and no one knew him. God only knew the
grief that some would feel who did know him. Here
again linger a larger group. They are looking at the
figure of a woman, once beautiful, and, though her hair
lies tangled and wet, and her face is distorted from the
effects of drowning, she still chains that crowd with a
melonchely interest. She has a marriage ring on her
finger. Two lockets are on her breast, and a brooch is
suspended by a yellow riband round her neck. For
whom did she wear them ? Who were dear to her ?
To whom was she dear ? No one knew her. God help
her ! she alone then but required to be but recegnized by
him. And so passed the scene. Here a moan ad a tear
marked the recognition of the mangled remains of a
friend or relative. There strangers with heavy hearts
gazed on those who were unwept, and thought of
themselves if ever such a fate should be theirs, There
may be scenee of sorrow and of horror, but who can
conceive anything so utterly heart rending as when
people go away in peace and happiness, to return
this evening or to morrow, and are first heard of
mangled and drowned by such disesters ?—Cnnadien
raper.