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Press and Personal Record.

The printer of the Craftsman has no Greek type, but a trifle like that does not trouble him — he is equal to the occasion. Thus: « Meiʎioow. »

Miss Juliana Boyd, a lady of considerable literary repute, and an enthusiastic antiquary, died on 10th Jan., in Auckland. She was a niece of the late Canon Boyd, of Leeds.

On the 14th January, in Dunedin, Mr T. G. Kenny, of Timaru, was married to Miss Harriet Connor, second daughter of Mr J. J. Connor, manager of the Tablet Company's printing department. The bride had for eight years been connected with the Tablet office, where she was a general favorite.

On the 30th December, Mr J. F. Wilson, who has for ten years been connected with the commercial department of the Invercargill Times, was presented by the staff of the paper with a silver service as a parting gift. The utmost goodwill was expressed by the donors. Mr Wilson, who is a native of Riverton, has removed to Dunedin, having accepted a position with Messrs Stone, Son, &Co., printers and publishers.

Mr Ballance's mercenary policy of « spoils to the victors » seems to be somewhat disappointing in practice. Accounting for the defection of certain prominent supporters, he said, « When there were twelve candidates for six offices there must be naturally disappointment, and it was not unnatural that some of the disappointed ones should either at once go into opposition or endeavor to form a middle party. » This, whether true or otherwise, is the cruelest thing that has yet been said of Mr Ballance's party.

The following interchange of amenities between country journalists is recorded. A card, with cork attached, was received through the post on New Year's morning, thus inscribed:

1892. New Year Greeting.

To A. W. Hogg, Esq. (Star), from W. C. Nation (Standard).

I'd like to crack a bottle, friend,
With thee, for auld lang syne,
And as I wet my throttle, friend,
Drink joy to thee and thine.
Tho' cash I can't outfork, my friend,
Kind hearts are more than wealth,
So let us smell the cork, my friend,
And sniff each others' health.

The reply:

Dear friend, the cork I tried to smell,
But not a scent was there;
The spirit it had cherished well,
Had vanished into air.
But better than the scent, my friend,
Of any mountain dew,—
Will I regard the kindly card
That speaks of friendship's brew.

With New Year's Greetings, to W. C. Nation, Esq., from A. TV. Hogg.

Emile de Lavelaye, the Belgian author, is dead. He was one of the victims of the influenza epidemic.

Mr M. Davitt, according to a home telegram, has issued a writ against the Dublin Independent, claiming £5000 for an alleged libel.

The month of January this year is notable on account of the deaths of two eminent English astronomers—Sir George Airy and Professor J. C. Adams.

A London telegram of 29th December records the death of Mr F. Cellier, the composer, after finishing the music to The Mountebank, which was to appear on the 31st.

A curious libel action is reported from Madagascar. The head of the Jesuit mission station published and distributed amongst the native population a pamphlet in the Malagasy language, vilifying the members of a newly-established Masonic lodge. Action was taken, and Cazet, the offender, was fined £40, besides being ordered to pay £400 damages and costs of the suit.

The Printers' Register says: Mr Henry Norman, who lately travelled round the world for the Pall Mall Gazette, has been lately wedded to Miss Mene Muriel Dowie, the « Girl in the Karpathians. » The two travellers were attracted to each other in classic fashion by the story of the perils through which they had both passed, and this developed the warmer interest which has brought about their union.

Mr Rudyard Kipling was married on the 19th inst. to Miss Balestier. The American Art Printer says that Mrs Kipling is a Rochester (N.Y.) girl, who went to London to keep house for her bachelor brother, Mr Wolcott Balestier, whose sad death from typhoid occurred about three weeks before. The late Mr Balestier collaborated with Mr Kipling in producing the novel now running in the Century Magazine.

United Ireland—the name is a sorry jest—refers to the Dillonites as « fools, » « wretches, » and « creeping, wriggling reptiles. » Now that the opposing factions are so fully occupied with each other, Mr Balfour is « enjoying a well-earned rest. »

The Printers' Register says: The late Judge Powell, who on the 15th September passed away at the ripe age of 75 years, was one of several notable instances of men who have made the gallery of the Houre of Commons a stepping-stone to its floor, and also to a leading position at the Bar. It was on the staff of the Morning Herald, the precursor of the Standard, that Mr Powell began and ended his professional connexion with the press.

Hiram Brown, a native of Cheshire, Mass. (says the Paper World of October), who was apprenticed to the papermaker's trade in 1804, in the first paper-mill built west of Worcester, Mass.—the « Old Berkshire Mills, » at Dalton—is still living, in a green old age of 94 years, at Elmwood, Ill. His life has been one of great activity and singular purity and philanthropy. His intense earnestness and rare sweetness of spirit have left their beautiful impress on his venerable countenance. His soubriquet among his friends is « Greylock, » he having been born near that mountain.

The Derbyshire Times has furnished some amusement to the home press by its attempts at fine writing and its odd blunders. It lately gave a vivid sketch of a sea-scene where, « under the fierce glare of a tropical sun, … the silvery moonlight changes to rosy dawn » —a piece of astronomy worthy to be compared with Eider Haggard's total eclipse. At a fashionable wedding the officiating clergyman gave a most interesting and instructive address, speaking of the prime evil of the institution of matrimony. The same well-informed journal writes of Douglas Gerald and John Stewart Parnell.

« The Emperor of Germany is about to publish a newspaper, to be inspired directly by himself, and to be the official exponent of his views on all subjects—military, civil, and political. »—So we read in our home exchanges. Royal and imperial personages have not uncommonly been inspired with literary or artistic ambition; but have very rarely possessed the more important inspiration—genius. The German emperor's experiment is pecularly daring. Any man of average intelligence and rectitude could fill the position of Emperor; but higher and rarer qualities are demanded of an Editor. Perhaps the Kaiser partly recognizes this fact, as he is not to personally conduct, but only to directly inspire the new organ. It will have a somewhat unfair advantage over its contemporaries. Awkward consequences might result if a rival should refer to the editor in terms of disparagement.