The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1894-03-02 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

THE LOVERS' LEAP. —Sappho killed herself by jumping from the Lovers' Leap, a Leucadian This leap was often taken by lovesick persons, who believed that if they survived the fall they would be effectually cured of a hopeless passion. The leaps were always witnessed by crowds of spectators, and the would-be suicides were in no way interfered with by the state. Boats were in attendance below to pick up the leapers if they came to the surface of the sea after the plunge. Sappho had a passion for a young man who did not return her love, and leaped from the cliff in order to be cured. She perished in the fall. So also did •Artimesia and many other celebrities. Pliny tells a curious story of an old Athenian miser who was in love with his cook, and desiring a cure, went to have a look at the cliff. He peeped over, shook his head, and went home and married the cook. FASHION IN SAN Fassicisco.—The wives of the wealthy Chinese of San Francisco now dress in fashionable attire. The wife and daughter of a rich merchant are thus described: "Both were elegantly dressed. The mother wore a satin kilt skirt, with box-pleats of blue and black, embroidered before and behind, and kilted on both sides. The shame, or over dresses, were of rich purple brocaded silk, with the now fashionable sleeves of immense width, the inside being lined with blue silk. The glitter from three diamond rings drew our attention to hands of lily whiteness, and a wrist that bore bangles of chased gold and the palest of jade. Her ear-rings were studded with pearls, from each of which hung the usual ring of jade. Her head was without bonnet. The heir was set with artificial flowers, bars Ind pine of gold, and drops of pearls. She said it took her maid two hours to dress her hair, and I don't doubt it." But these Chinese ladies are very rarely seen out of doors. They go about in closed carriages, covering the face when they alight. "Purism Paoritnrr."--There are many men who think it entirely justifiable to waste what they consider public property. Not long ago a man entered a telegraph office in Liverpool, and taking some forms down filled them up as fast as he could. Having used all he had he asked for more, and did likewise till they were used up. From the number he had filled up and from his asking for more and more and yet more, the clerks naturally concluded that he VMS going to give them a wholesale order for stamps, and monopolise the wires for an hour or two. At last this man of energy rose with the bundle in his hand and, approaching the clerk, asked him for a stamp. The clerk wished to know what all the others were He replied that he had only used them to fix in the wording of the message he had to send. The clerk took the pile and counted, only to find that this individual had wasted 146 forms in trying to work a message within the prescribed value. This is probably the largest number of forms ever used to write a message of twelve words.  A PIGEON win'A MEmonv.—lt seems really impossible to extinguish the homing instinct in a good pigeon. A story is told of a French carrier pigeon whieh was captured by the German soldiers during the siege of Paris in 1870. The bird was being carried in a balloon from Paris with a message. It was taken to the German headquarters and presented to the commander, Prince Frederick Charles, who sent it to his mother in Germany. Here it was placed, in a splendid roomy aviary and carefully fed and nourished; but, although it was kept there, living in the lap of royal luxury for four years, the French pigeon did not forget its fatherland. At the end of that time the aviary was left open one day. The pigeon flew out, mounted high in the air, flew about for a moment, as if to find the points of the compass, and started in a straight line for Paris. Ten days afterward it beat its wings against the entrance to its old loft in the Boulevard de Clichy. There it was recognised and its case being brought to public attention it was honoured as a patriot returned from foreign captivity. It remained in the Paris Jardin d'Acclimatation until it died in 1878.