The morning news., 1892-02-20
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

A FRENCH LADY recently died in Toulon at a
very old age. She was known in society by the
nickname Of Madame Miss on account of her
mania. In her will she bequeathed 5000 OCO
francs francs 70 tne explorer who would penetrate the
wllds OF Africa further than any explorer has
hitherto done. He may take with him a com
pany of 800 men, but must bring half this num-
Der back to civilization.
AT Dueretaro. near Mexico, soap is the cur
rency Of the place, and legal tender for pay
mem. of debts: The cakes are about the size of
the familiar brown Windsor and are each
worth about farthings Each cake is stamped
with the name OF the town in which it is cur
rent, and that of the person authorized to man
ulacture and utter IT. Soap money OF one town
Is not current in another.
In Surrey county. North Carolina, there is a
mountain whose outline displays striking like
ness to the Sphinx of Egypt. 1t is in the north
western part of the state, Just east of the Blue
Ridge range, and lies prone upon the Piedmont
plains, At distance of ten miles the figure is
the exact counterpart OF that of gigantic lion,
It's body at right angles to the precipitious
ridge, and with head reared aloft as il in the act
OF rising.
In PAPER published in French medical
magazine, DR.. Brown-Sequard, the famous
''elixir Of life" advocate. adduces some of the
reasons that have led him to the conclusion
that normal sleep is the effect of an inhibitory
act. instead of dependirg z, as formally supposed
upon vascular contraction taking place in the
cerebral lobes Experiments plainly prove
that sleep may exist whether there is little or
much blood In the vessels OF the brain. That
the loss OF consciousness in sleep in numerous
other accidental or pathological cases is the ef-
rect OF an inhibition Of the cerebral faculties is
to be believed, DR.. Brown-Sequard argues be-
cause or direct proofs showing that the loss
OF consciousness in the case OF a puncture of
the bulb, and In other cases also, is beyond all
dispute, due to an inhlbitory act. and also be-
cause of all that is known of the circumstances
which precede or accompany sleep. The broad
statement made by the celebrated author is
that there exists when sleep occurs and as long
as IL lasts, irritation at a distance from the
organs in which the cessation of activity takes
place. Among the proofs of the existence of
such irrltations the following are cited: Feeling
of heavinesS in the eyes, persistent contraction
OF the pupil, contraction of the orbicular mus
cles and contraction of the blood vessels of the
retina of the eye and of the cerebral lobes.
UNDER the rule and inspiration of the art
decorator, a curious confusion and introversion
of the idea has come to pass, says the National
ReUiet0 Instead of room being the reflection
OF the person who mostly lives therein (Which
should make the sight of q room even more
than chat of PERSONS friends, be true index
of character0 the room is now looked upon as
the ruling guide, The owner must live IN
dress up, TO the room; she must try to harmon
lze with the room, instead of her room being
brough into harmony with her. In fact she
is like at person who has bought a particular
picture frame, and must strive to find
some picture that will fill IL fairly
well. woman's room should be her frame.
which completes and perfects the picture of her
individuality; but in the schemes of the art de-
corator she is a mere accident Of no account,
and he would design pompadour boudoir for
Lady Macbeth, or a Greek music room for Becky
Sharp, wherein to sing Yvette Guilbert's latest
success to the Marquis of Steyne without
qualm ruffling his serene self-satsfaction The
qenre dtelieT was one of the modes of this craze
for domestic decoration which was, perhaps the
most ludicrous; when estimable souls, who
know no more OF painting than a cat does of a
case of pistols thought it necessary to establish
eases about their rooms, and even went so far
as to hang palettes, ready set" for painting on
their walls.
In IRELAND, according to the Irish Times, the
robin is called Gods bird, f." because it plucked
a thorn from the cruel crown pressed upon the
head OF our Savior and in doing so wounded its
own breast It forsakes cursed graveyard
The wren is chased every st. Stephens day on
account or 1t betraylng the Savior by cbattering
in a clump of furZe where he was hiding Ii is
Called the king of all birds, because it con
cealed itself beneath the wing of the eagle when
that lordly bird claimed supremacy by soaring
highest. Here am, )" said the wren, mount
ing above the eagles head when the latter could
go no higher. The blackbird and
thrush thrust are wandering souls" whose
hence they are forced to endure the rigors OF
winter. Rooks. 1ackdaws, bats, hawks and
owls are animated by lost souls. The wagtail
is called the devils bird )" for no other reason.
l suppose than that it clevery evades the
missiles thrown at it, A dead wagtail is a rdrn
dUis. The stone chat is continually chatting
with the evil one, so it is held in bad repute and
as the raven commonly impersonates his sable
majesty 1t is ranked in the same category of
evil birds. Sometimes, however, its appear
ance forebodes a death With the ancient
Greeks the magpie was supposed to possess the
soul of a gossiping woman, and we all know
how unlucky it is to meet an odd number OF the
species in Ireland.
One comes for sorrow two for mirth
Three for berrin' and four for a birth.
Crows, like crickets, come for good or evil
luck, but the curse of the crows is a maleiic-
tion to be avoided. II good luck abides in the
homestead where they build their rookery they
should not be molested. Sparrows, stares and
plovers are on friendly terms with the fairies
The lark and the swallow are birds of good
omen. but the latter should not rest on the
housetop. The sedge warblers possess the
souls of unbaptized babes, and sing their sorrow
at the midnight hour; while the linnet yellow
hammer ami fnch sing their plaintive and
tender songs to remind us they are souls OF de-
parted friends not yet relieved from atora
pains. The oittern is their herald at night