The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-10-14
Varieties.

Varieties.
"A little Joker" game was started by three
sharpers in the cars near Hudson, N. ", one
day recently. To incite play among the pas
sengers a bottle of whiskey was produced and
freely passed around. Among the drinkers
was waggish physician, who, thinking the
opportunity for teaching a lesson good one,
himself procured a bottle, and put into il
powerful dose of ipecacuaDha This he, in
friendly way, invited the gamblers to enjoy;
which they did, with what results can best be
imagined.
"A young woman a. Somerton, in Somer-
setshire, England, recently said she was be-
witched, that the witch was certain old wo-
man in the town. and that the latter was then
at home frying toads to effect her purposes
| A number Of ignorant wretches went to the
old woman's residence and found her an invalid
in bed They, however, searched the house,
particularly the chimney and raked the ashes
out OF the crate TO discover signs of her devil
ish cuisine, but could find nothing. The
witch has always borne the character of a
harmless old woman.
"A newsboy stood at the door of a church
in Detroit last Sunday as the people were
passing oLt, shouting, "Here's yer Mornin'
Free Press-all about the prize fight"
AN adventurous London journalist, who is
going to Abyssnia in advance of the expedi-
ton, tried to nigrify himself recently with
tincture of iodine. Thus transformed, he took
quiet walk in the sunshine (of course in a
walled garden) and was rather surprised to
find himself photograpbcally tattooed with an
exact reflex OF the trees and flowers around
him. AT least, that is the story.
AT Pillau, in Prussia, lives a woman who
has for some years consecrated her life to the
dangerous task of rescuing persons from ship
wreck and drowning. This Prussian Grace
Darling, who has saved more than three hun
dred individuals, is held in the highest vener-
alton by all classes of the people among whom
she lives.
"A butler in an English church, standing
on one lfg during hymn, was punched in the
back with hymn book by his mistress who
- w. ---af"z af the minister, and rebuked for
ms lrreverent posture. Refusing to change IL
he was ordered to leave the church. and ON bis
declining, the minister came down and repeat-
| ed tie order, but the butler would not move.
lie prosecuted the lady for "hrawling in
en"io"' Tut The Court cleared her.
| Toh "he vi 'ne rsshlic BUILDINGS and at other
! points of Venice might be -rc5,..~ :,
subjoned words posted up in large characters:
| "Give unto Caesar that which is Caesars.
| Rome the capital of Italyl Long live Victor
Emmanuelr'
A big yarn comes from Oregon about the
existence of an ice-cave several miles in ex-
tent, near the base of Mt. Adams, said cave
supplying the coast with ice for summer con-
sumption. Sc non zero ben troUato
d A young lady advertised for employment
in the Manchester (England) Guardian. A
young man sent her an insulting letter,
which she showed to the editor of the Guardi-
an The latter ferreted out the offender, COM
PEELED him to write humble apology, and give
sum of money to one of the charitable insti-
tutions of the city.
"A young man in New Haven the other
day rushed into a drug store, and. in great
alarm, asked the clerk il benzine was poison
Gus. "No," said the clerk, "why?" Because
said the fellow, father went to the closet to
take down the gin bottle, and by mistake took
several swallows before he knew it," "He is
all right" replied the clerk. "The only differ
ence between benzine and modern gin is in
the SMELL" ei7 flrU
Two men old enough to know better, one
being eighty and the other seventy years Of
age. had sharp fight last week in the cemete-
Try at Medina, Ohio, as to the proper disposal
of headstone. irat. .a
From the New York papers we have the
gratifying announcement that Mr.. George Will
liam Curtis is engaged upon novel.
1t is good thing to be able to remember,
but it is no less desirable to be able to forget
Happiest among men is he whose win exercis-
es the strongest control over his memory, for
he can bury his cares in oblivion, and record
the pleasant incidents of his life where 'every
day he turns the leaf to read them"
AT the serenade to General Sheridan in
Boston, several ladies were severely iniuredby
the crowd One woman named Margaret
Brennan, who was thrown down and trampled
on, died of her injuries on Friday
"A Boston paper pathetcaIly remarks:
"The depth of the calamity which recent cleo
tions have produced can only be appreciated
by those who have seen that their result has
brought forward the name Of f. p. Blair for
Cabinet Office"
H A new planet has been recently discovered
at very nearly the same time by Professor Tiet-
ien, of Berlin, and Mr. Peters, of Hamilton
College, United States. 1t is stated to be
about the eleventh magnitude. The discovery
of this planet, to which the name Of Undina
has been given, is very interesting, as it makes
up the number of these bodies that have been
discovered to one hundred.
Professor Wilson's daughter was sought
in marriage by Aytoun, afterwards celebrated
as the editor of Blaekwood and author of Songs
Of the Scottish Cavaliers. She accepted him,
hut added that he must ask papa, The modest
lover was afraid to do so, and begged the young
lady to broach the subject for him. She
promptly sought her father and asked permis-
sion to become Mrs. Aytom. "I'n pin my re-
ply to you" said Christopher North, and tax
ing up book which had been sent to him for
review he tore out the words "With the au.
thors compliments" pinned il to her dress,
and sent her to her waiting Iover.
= The celebrated Partisan actress, Victorine
Colcrc (who is she, pray?), IS about to visit the
United States professional tour.
A novel case was lately decided at Lexing-
ton Va. Reuben Howard, a free negro, "ac-
,,nircd" his wife Mily, slave, by purchase
some years before the war. BY his will of
date March, 1864, he emancipated his wife at
his death. He died in 1863 and his estate is
not sufficient 10 pay his debts if his wife is
titled to dover. This was the question in the
case: rs Milly Howard entitled to dower6
The Judge decided that she is.
The next "Christmas story" in All the Year
Round will be written by Charles Dickens and
Wilkie Collins
Madame Parepa-Rosa has been visiting
some of the public schools in New York and
worked the children up to high pitch of en-
thusiasm by singing ballads tc them