The Portland daily press., 1868-04-22
Varieties.

The Boston correspondent of the SPRING
field Republican says there has been quite a
little buzz occasioned in literary circles by the
rup'or that "one OF our most noted lady,writers
has had serious quarrel with her publishers
may as well nominate the parties, who are
Gail Hamilton and Ticknor & Fields. The
rumor may be utterly groundless, but it is
quite current, and quid nunes have been in
geniously putting this and that together, to fit
facts to it. Many of the lady's admirers have
deplored the long absence of her sprightly pa
pers from the pages of the Atlantic, and have
hoped, month after month, that they would re-
appear. But none have been seen, and the
public draws its inferences"
"A wide-awake minister, who found his
congregation going to sleep one Sunday, be-
fore he had fairly commenced, suddenly
stopped and exclaimed: Brethren, this isn't
giving man a chance; wait till get along a
piece, and then if 1 amt worth listening to, GO
to sleep: but don't begin to snore before 1 get
commenced; give man chance"
Rome is just now one of the cheapest
places in the world to live in. For IL francs
Ia dollar and half you can buy large roast
ed turkeys leg of mutton, tureen of excel
lent soup; vegetables, pudding, and quantity
of delicious fruit.
"A Prussan journal relates a story of a
Jewish congregation which determined to pre-
sent its Rabbi tun of wine, in token of their
respect and love- Each was to bring
bottle and pour the contents into the re-
ceptacle. After the plan had been carried
out the cask was tapped and found to be filed
with pure water. Each one of the donors had
conceived the idea that in such a quantity
single bottle of water would not be detected,
and the result was as stated.
The Halifax Express, discussing the differ
ent routes proposed for the Intercolonial rail-
way, says: "The course taken by the North
ern route resembles somewhat a very irregu-
lar parabola, winding along the shore of the
Gulf of St Lawrence, and then descending
down the eastern coast of New Brunswick.
Were the road built as the crow flies, it would
come down through the State of Maine which,
by the way, both geographically and political
ly, ought to form part of British America"
We agree with the Express that Maine and
British America are so united geographically
that they ought to be one politically; but we
feel no special desire to be annexed to the Do
minion. We have always believed, indeed,
that manifest destiny pointed the other way,
but we are willing to wait for our neighbors to
see the matter in its true light. There is
plenty of time.
Wesleyan University, Middleton, CT, is
soon to have a ten-inch telescope, the gift of
Messrs G. G. North, Oliver Hoyt and I'll. j.
Baker, of New York. 1t will be superior to
any instrument in New England, except one
| at Harvard College. A new astronomical OBJ
servatory is in process of erection, and will be
| completed the coming summer.
"A woman in Chicago captured burglar
a few nights ago, grabbing him by the hair of
the head and holding on until aid arrived.
The Boston Transcript says the people of
that city who twice laid away their snow-
shovels for the season, have decided to let
them stand near the back door until the first
of June
The st. Peter (Minnesota) Tribune gives
an account of a desperate attempt of young
woman of that place to commit suicide. She
| shot herself little below the heart, the ball
| glancing upon one OF the ribs, following 1T half
around the body, and passing out underneath
the left shoulderblade. Disappointed love led
to the act; but she will recover from both.
Mrs. Gaines will not derive as much bene-
| AZ from her successful lawsuit as might be ex-
pected A large portion of the property re-
| covered will have to be appropriated towards
defraying the expenses of the thirty years liti-
cation.
81 stand" said a Western stump orator,
con the broad platform of the principles of '9s,
and palsied be my arm if desert 'um." "You
stand on nothing of the kind!" interrupted a
little shoemaker in the crowd, "you stand in
my boots, that you never paid me for, and
want the money"
When the Hindco priest is about to bap-
tie an infant, he utters the following peauu-
full sentiment: "Little baby, thou enterest the
world weeping, while all around tnee smile.
| Con+r;va so TO live that You may depart In
smiles while allaround you weep.
| W.. have been told of youngster who is
..1ating himself that he has got the
oons =, last. He says he shall not any Ion
Nio'ple %s tent from playing with the boys, for
-, he NAV catch it. The little chap is phi
,o,,ber and understands the doctrine of COM
pensations
The new Chassepot rifle has cost the
French army twenty million dollars thus far.
Russia, for tie Remington rifle, has paid twen-
ty-two million dollars, and Austria sixteen
million. Great Britain has paid thirteen mil
lion dollars for the new Snider rifle. Its nrst
cost is less than that of the Chassepot put II
is ultimately dearer, owing to the expense "
| its cartridges.