Connecticut western news., 1880-03-17
NOTES AND COMMENTS.

A letter from St. Petersburg to the Temps says that the news received from the interior of the empire is heartrend- ing. Famine and diphtheria are deei- mating the population. The provinces of Saratof and Kief, which annually ex- port enormous quantities of grain, scarcely had any crop at all last year. The calamity is aggravated by the want of fodder for the cattle, the peasants being forced to sell them at any price.
 An engine-driver of Llanon, Eng land-first cousin to the hero celebrated in the stanza, "When the coster's fin ished jumping on his mother "-while in a playful mood at 8 public house, stole up to perfect stranger and placed a fiery poker in his left hand. There are Englishmen so sombre that nothing short of red hot joke could be expected to have any effect on their disabilities, but the Carmarthen county bench de- cided that the engine-driver was "cow- ardly assailant," instead of humorist, and fined him BIO and costs.
 John Woolery was angry, at Lead vile, because his wite's sister, Mamie, did not come home directly from church, and remarked that she was probably lettering with sweetheart. Mrs. Wool cry had previously suspected him of be. ing in love with Mamie, and now she accused him openly. He replied: elf any man comes home with her I'll show you whether I love her." A man did accompany her to the door. Woolery shot her, though not fatally, and then killed himself.
 Boston and Portland merchants ship large quantities of lumber to Brazil, be- cause that country has very few mills. The streams wash away many trees which mill owners at their mouths would have simply to capture and land. A Portugese who built mill few years ago at the mouth of the Madeira River, has recently retired with large fortune, although he had employed only the rudest machinery and unskilled workmen. The cedar logs floating down supplied him in five months in every year with sufficient timber for the entire years work.
 A man who is very rich now was very poor when he was a boy. When asked how he got his riches, he replied :- "My father taught me never to play till all my work for the city was finished, and never to spend money till I had earned it. If had but half an hours work to do in day, I must do that the first thing and in half an hour. After this was done, I was allowed to play. ] early formed the habit of doing every thing in it's time, and it soon became perfectly easy to do SO. It is to this habit that I now owe my prosperity.
 When the Czar had little recov cred from the terror of the recent ex plosion in the palace, he asked for his daughter, and seeing her pale, trem bling and wringing her hands in the recess of @ window adjoining the dining room, hurried up and embraced hel warmly. He then asked her to go te her mothers room and see that the sleeping invalid was told nothing of the explosion. The Duchess Marie recov cred courage and refused to go home with the Czarevna to pass the night declaring it to be her duty to remain and nurse her mother.
 Among the Ronoonans, tribe o Indians in French Guiana, lately visited by Dr. Crevaux, an eminent savant, il is customary for 8 woman, after con fnement, to continue her ordinary household work while the husband en joys 8 season of complete rest. Dr. Crevaux visited the King of the tribe whose wife had just presented him witt boy, and found the happy monarch reclining comfortably in his hammock which he intended to occupy for whole month, otherwise the health and happi ness of the newborn child might b. | jeopardized.
 A quaint story of Andrew Jackso1 is told by writer in The Nashvill' Bonner. He was visiting Kentucky town where among the gentlemen pre- scented to him was Major Lewis. wht desired to impress Jackson and his ad mirers with his own independence Taking a digni6ed attitude, he said
 "Well, General, I have all my life beer voting against you." Jackson courteous ly bowed to him and said, good humor edly "Well, Major Lewis, I have al my life been fighting the battles of my country in order that you might emo. that privilege"
 Mamma led by the hand on Shrov Tuesday her only child, her darling boy They were going to the boulevards t see the masks-though for ten years nc mask had beed seen there. The dal ling was disguised ssas a Pierrot, whit jacket and trousers trimmed with sky
 blue ribbon he had two white sati
 shoes with similar trimmings. On tn
 way to the boulevards they called at
 coal dealers shop. The scoal dealer
 wife, black as the ace of spades, ran ou
 to hug and kiss her dear nephew, wh
 retreated, whining: "Oh! dear, dea
 aunty, please don't love me to-day; to
 morrow I'll love ycu two whole days.
 There is now in Paris a Russia
 girl who, at the time the Czar was she at, was living in the Place Alexandra
 At the first discharge of the revolve she rushed from her bed to the window
 and thus witnessed the scene. Struc with terror, she crept into bed an curled herself in the bedclothes. Sh
 had scarcely done so when the dot
 opened, well-dressed man entered, at