Personal Pars.
Mataura Ensign , Putanga 448, 9 Pipiri 1898, Page 3
Mō tēnei niupepa
Personal Pars.
— * I The Lord Chief Justice has a fan sy for big colored handkerchiefs. Bed silk is his favorite kind. The Princess of Wales has a teaservice of sixty pieces, and each piece is decorated with a different photograph which she took herself while in Scotland. Since the success of his Cavalleria Rusticana, Mascagni has brought out five or six operas, all dead failures. This vein of genius seems to have been quickly worked out. The Home Secretary, Sir Matthow Whito-Bidley, is most probably the finest scholar in tho Cabinet. His brother, Mr Justice Ridley, is even a better scholar than ho ; both had distinguished careers at Oxford and were made Fellows of All Souls. There are two Scottish clergymen, favorites of the Quees, named Norman Macleod. One was"' in charge of the church of St Columba in Glasgow -, ho is now in Inverness. The other is minister of St Coluinba in Hans Place, London. They are not related. Mrs Maekay spends more on floral decorations when giving a dinner party or reception than any other member of tho fashionable world. Sbo has been s known to have chariots — drawn by swans — filled with roses, from which her guests could help themselves. Her dinner tables are a wealth o£ flowers. When tho blossoms are expensive and out of season, the bill for flowers at a reception often amounts to £500. Colonel John Hay has in his room at the United States Embassy a most interesting collection of portraits of j the Ministers who have represented | the great Republic in London. The scries begins with the first Minister wlio eatne after the War of Independence and closes with Mr Bayard. This collectidn was brought together origin- j ally by Mr James ltussell Lowell, and each retiring Ambassador will add his portrait. Tho Sultan of Turkey is always neen attired in pale brown garments. The Emperor of Austria effects grey. The young German Emperor has what may bo called a loud taste in clothes, and is never so happy as when wearing the showiest of uniforms or hunting costumes. Tho Emperor of Russia, on the other hand, like 3 the simplest, darkest form of undress uniform and he habitually wears that which became so familiar in all the photographs of his late father. Major dc AVinton, whose name is prominent just now by reason of the book he has written, is identified with Mr Gladstone's attempt in 1847 to found the colony of North Australia. Ho was the officer who took formal possession of tho site on which now stands the city of Gladstone ; be hoisted our flag ou the spot now occupied by the Town Hall. The blacks were wild and numerous at that time, and the bold pioneers had to run the gauntlet of showers of spears. George Montbard, the artist, was a Communist rather more than a quarter of a century ago, and could frequently be scon careering about the Latin Quarter on horseback and girded with a huge sabre. When the Versailles troops entered Paris, he fled to England and has since prospered with his pencil. He lives on his freehold property between ILtmpstead and Holloway, having long ago settled down into a peaceful citizen and substituted the harmless latch-key for the sword. Mr John Knight, who retired from the Queen's service about fifteen years ago, is the oldest of her Majesty's retired servants. He is ninety-one years of age. For many years he was head gardener to the Duchess of Kent, the Queen's mother, at Froginore, and just prior to the death of the Prince Consort ho was appointed head gardener in Hampden Court Pahiue. In fcho latter capacity ho was responsible for the great vine, from which he has cut as many as two thousand bunches in one season.
