Connecticut western news., 1879-07-23
NOTES AND COMMENTS.


 century. Goldsmith wrote his biogra- phy, which was published anonymously, though it has been included in Peter Cunningham's (London) edition of his works. Nash was great deal better than most of the macaroni class of his day. His chief fault was gambling; but he was very generous with the money he had won. It is related that often, when he had heard a man behind his chair signing for the amount he had gained, he would thrust his winnings into his hands and exclaim, "Take it! Much good may it do you!" He rose to fashionable fame by conducting the public balls at Bath (1704) with 8 splen- dor and decorum which had never before been observed. He enforced decency of dress and civility of manners, and made the spa really elegant and refined re- sort. Notwithstanding his habits, he took particular pains to put young and inexperienced persons on their guard as to gambling, and he is reputed to have taken exceeding care of the morals of young ladies attending the balls, warn- ing them against needy adventurers of his own stamp. He used to travel in 8 post-chariot with six grays, footmen, outriders, French horns, and the grand est display. In his old age-he lived to be 87-he fell into poverty, suffering from lack of the charity which in his palmy days he had never refused to any body. Despite his modish success, he was ungainly in figure, had coarse and homely features, and dressed in very bad taste.
 The number of lady gamblers in London is increasing steadily. A cor respondent of the ,St0ndord states that there is more gambling among women at the present time than has been the case since public gaming tables were put down by act of Parliament. The harmless bet of few pair of gloves at race meetings is now considered far be- heath the notice of dashing matron or fast maiden. There are not few female "plungers " on the turf who "put the pot on, as the idiotic jargon of the race course has 1t, with as much eagerness as the most dissipated subaltern at the Raleigh, who stands to win heap of money at Ascot or at Goodwood, with the alternative of ruining his old father, the country rector, if he loses, and allowing his sisters portions to be swal- lowed up in paying his "debts of honor" If the female plunger be unmarried, she has recourse probably to some accom- modating dress,naker, or, worse still, she accepts pecuniary help from some male friends, and perhaps puts herself for life in the power of man who will one day make her pay dearly for her in- discretion.
 -Step-mothers have some friends. A Wisconsin lady writes: "I know to-day that had my own mother lived she would have been much more strict with me than either of my step-mothers, and I implore the girls who read this, if they are so blest as to have some one try to fill the place of the mother who is taken away, give them your best affections and do not listen to the so-called friends who strive to make her life the harder to bear, and you will save yourself the re- grets which have filled my heart for years, coming with the death of one that had just begun to realize was a mother to me-"
 Among the Russian convicts just sent to the Island of Saghalien on the steamer Mini Novgoord, there are 100 Tartars and Circassians condemned for murder and robbery; there are also a number of Russian soldiers and Bulga- rians condemned by court martial dur. ing the late Turko-R Russian war there is an old convict who in his lifetime con- mltted forty-nine murders there is one murderer who killed his mother and grandfather and so on. All these are kept in chains on shipboard. They are companions of the Nihilist men and women who have lately been condemned tc transpor tation without any trial.
 Russia NRas many and varied troubles. It is isNestimated that the cattle plague will infict a loss of $24,OO0,OOO upon the empire this year, and millions of bushels of wheat are being destroyed annually by small beetle, for whose de- structiveness no sufficient check has yet been found. As an inducement to the people to destroy the insect, reward was offered for every quart of them that were brought in, dead or alive but $8,OOO,OOO has been expended in this way without effect.
 The London Econonaist pronounces the popular notion that India pays vast tribute to England and the less popular notion that she pays scarcely anything, equally erroneous. About SIS, 9,5OO, 900 in all must be taken to be the sum re- ceived and spent in England. This means fairly liberal support for five or six thousand educated families. Nor is this all, for divers other sums reach England from India which competent critics, familiar with the sale of drafts in England or the Indian cities, estimate at $3,0O0,OOO a year. These probably swell the amount to $35, 1000, 900, almost all of which is paid to professional classes.
 J. H. McClelland, of Martinsburg, Ind, graduated with high honors from the Louisville Medical College, and mar ried most amiable, accomplished lady. At college he formed the opium habit,