The Portland daily press., 1868-01-16
" al.ieties.

IL mas been carrying on its operations since
1907. An elaborate code of regulations, by
which this society was bound has been dscov-
cred, IN which the capital of the society, the
mode OF division of the profits, and the sums
to be given as rewards to those of the MEM
bers who were more skilful in their thefts,
are minutely described.
One A. b. Child of Boston has written A
pamphlet on Unhappy Marriages" copy of
which he sends us. He thinks unhappy mar
riaees are wholly owing to marriage laws If
there were no laws they could not be broken
and so there would be no crime; therefore he
proposes to cure all our present evils of this
kind by abolishing marriage altogether, sub
stituting the free love theory. Whether he
thinks the same principle applicable to all
crimes we are not told.
The Calcutta Englishman says: "The Vice
roy has called upon all native princes TO sub
NIT an explanation showing what punishments
are inflicted on witches in their various states.
This measure has been taken in consequence
of the cruelty inflicted upon twelve 1eputed
witches, at place called GooEerat, in the
Cashmere territories. These unfortunates
were last year sentenced, on suspicion of deal
ing in magic, to have their tongues slit The
co nmon punishments in native states for thus
offence appears to be the Sitting of noses and
tongues, and the amputation of ears"
Constant Meyer is working on three new
pictures, entitled respectively "The Love Mes
sage" "The Confidence" and Religious Medi-
taton."
The day after the drawing of the quarter
million prize in the Vienna lottery, the report
was set afioat that the fortunate individual
was female pastry cook in the Archduke
Charles Hotel. She was neither young nor
fair, but yet received dozen offers of marriage
in the course of one afternoon. She can make
her selection at her leisure, as she did not
draw the prize.
Speaking of the necessity which compels
the Emperor Napoleon. to maintain a large
and powerful army, the London Post saws
that "the poor man cannot help himself, with
saturnne Bismarck scowling at him from
the other side of frontier which a lame man
could hop over. Prussia has been for the last
hundred years one of the most powerful mill
tary States in the world"
Brief courtship. A young man asked a
pretty girl recently, as they were going by
Wallack's, and obselv we'd the play-bill: "Would
you like to see How She Loves Him'?" The
blushing answer was: "I know already" The
twain were welded next week.
Mr.. Prang the photographer, has announc-
ed his intention to divide among his EMPLOYEES
one-tenth of his net profits, in addition to
their regular wages for the next year.
Perhaps some of our readers will recog-
nize an old friend in a puzzle which is lust
now delghting Paris. 1t is described thus:
Suppose two steel Interrogation points
9?
about three inches long and attached to each
other by the head. 1t is required TO separate
them At first one would think it very sim
pie, and yet some will try for hours to accom-
plIsh it without success. This little puzzle has
been baptized" the Roman question.
The aged Princess Potemkin went to
make call of congratulation upon the Grand
Duchess Eugenie, of Russia who is tobe maj
ried this month. She was hosted up by lift
to the apartments of the bride, and Just as the
Grand Duke Nicholas extended his hand to
assist her out of the machine, the rope broke,
and the poor old princess ratified to the ground,
breaking her wrist, and receiving other inju-
ries.
Letters passing through the Roman post
Office are opened by the officials, a fact which
is made evident by very dirty fnger-marks.
Dickens has been offered $4,000 in coin
for thirty readings in San Francisco, but Dol
by won't let him go there.
The cold weather in France is driving the
wolves out of the forests into the villages.
AN Ohio farmer is planting q mammoth
orchard-5,O00 apple trees, 20 acres of straw
berries, and the rest in proportion.
"A French journal, lie Nord, has made a
discovery. England cares very little about
the captives in Abyssinia'bu but is anxious to es-
tablish its power on the shores of the Red Sea;
hence the expeditions. The conquest of the
magnificent seaport and harbor of Massowah,
says this writer, would ensure the possession
OF the Red Sea to England Immense militia
ry hospitals are organizing at Alexandria,
Cairo and Suez. The principal commercial
houses of England are sending agents to
Abyssinia. Everything combines to prove the
British expedition to be in consequence of the
occupation of Perrin ard a revenge for the
French enterprise of the Isthmus of Suez.
"A Scotchman stopped at hotel in Bou-
logne where the servants had just been i'm
ported from England. In the morning he ae-
costed waiting maid with: "Fetch me ma
shoon, lassie." "Ah, sir" said she, 81 don't
understand French"
"A farmer and his wife who live just out of
Lee, Mass, have some queer notions about life.
They occupy separate divisions of the house;
keep house" on their own hook purchase
fam or dairy products from each other as
from strangers, and exact the highest market
prices.
Virginia City, Nevada, is caying in. A
gentleman went to look for his boarding. house
the other day, and, on returning, was asked
his success. ''Well," said he, II found every
thing settled except my bill"
AN Englishman writes to the Pail Mall
from New York his impressions OF Mr.. Henry
Ward Beecher. "Mr Beecher," he says,
"prayed as most non-liturgic parsons do pray
in public, that is, he recited 10 the Deity, with
more or less success an elaborate list of his at
tributes, and concluded with one or two petit
tions for mankind at large, especially for teach
ers, for the poor, and for the young" He goes
on to say: "The discourse was of a kind with
which we are not at all familiar in England
The first half, perhaps the first third only,
was theological, but even this portion was
much more rational and philosophizing than
would be palatable to the congregation of any
English popular preacher" Finally "the gem
eral impre ssion with which one came away
was that in spite of bits of staginess, Mr. Beech
er breaches in a remarkably sensible manner
and tone. His sermon was not political in any
party sense, it was only very deeply social"
Little Susie, porting over a book in which
angels were represented as winged beirg,,
suddenly exclaimed with vehemence Mamma,
don't want to be an angel, and needn't,
need I?" "Why, Susie?" questioned her
mother. "Humph leave off all my pretty
clothes, and wear .fedders like a henp'
In an English town, two shoemakers were
fierce rivals. When one made any change or
improvement, the other did likewise. AT last
one put up a now sign, on which was the mot
to, Mems Sibi Conscia Recti. The other was
overcome at first, but socn appeared with his
sign, bearing the words, Mems and Women's
Si6i Conscia Recti.
king Theodore S side of the question is far
from weak one. He claims, and we believe
truly. that the British have upheld the Egyp-
tians in selling his subjects who are Chris
tians, into slavery from which there was no
escape.
The London Times article on Mr. Dick
ems reception in America is long and very
funny. Americans, says the Times, can bear
to be criticised They are not so thin-skinned