ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

[fBOM THE SOCIETY PAPFRS.] Queer stories are current as to the presents the Duke of Edinburgh gave, in accordance with Eastern custom, on leaving Constantinople. To the Sultan he offered, as a pleasing novelty, a cheap edition of the Queen's "Life in the Highlands," to the grand Vizier he presented a shilling wooden pipe with an unscrewable bowl. Among the various high officials he divided an aluminum pencil case, a Waterbury watch, a halfguinea sewing machine, a cake of Pear's soap, a button hook, a pocket comb, a bottle of China cement, an old volume of the Sunday at Homo, a bos of sardines, a pot of jam, and a bundle of quill tooth picks, and, to show that he wasn't proud when he had got on board ship ho totted up his expenses on his shirt cuff, and found that lie had got out of Constantinople for £1 17s 6ij, whereupon, in a fit of sudden generosity, he went I ack on shore again and spent the odd half-crown. The journey of the Duchoss of Edinburgh from Coburg to Malta will be a costly business for the country. The Royal yacht Osborne has been hurried off to the Mediterranean for the Duchess's use, although the Duke's official yacht, the Surprise, would have sufficed perfectly well, seeing that she recently conveyed the Duke and Duchess of Connaught from Marseilles to Malta. This is not even all, for it seems that H.M.S. Iris has been sent to Marseilles to escort the Osborne on her voyage to Malta. Such useless extravaganoe at the cost of the taxpayers is highly reprehensible. Considering that our Royalties enjoy such munificent allowances, surely they might travel at their own expense. The Earl oil Fife gave a grand entertainment at Mar Lodge on the 30th October, which consisted of a dinner, ball, a torchlight dance round the stags killed by the Prince of Wales in Mar Forest, His Royal Highness, the Princess, and their family being at the time on a visit to the Earl of Fife. Following the weird dance tho guests were escorted to the ballroom by eighty Highlanders bearing torches, headed by a band of pipers. Among a large number of guests staying at the lodge invited to meet the Royal party were Mr and Mrs Gye (Madame Albani). I regret to fee that the Bishop of Peterborough is again invalided. Dr Maeee'rf ailment this time is gouty iuflammation of the tbroit, and hp is under medical orders to forego public speaking of all kinds for the next few weeks. The episcopal visitntion in Pefprsborowgh diocese, which generally produces some utterances worth hearing — this is more than can be said for the majority of them —has consequently been postponed till next year. There ia no truth in the report of an impending marriage between Prince Albert Victor of Wales and Princess Alexandra of Anhalt-Dessau. The young couple who have been so unceremoniously betro'hed, have never yet met. There would be one novelty in this match if ever it took place. Princess Alexandra" will have a considerable fortune, whereas all the other Germans^' male or female") who have married into the Royal family of England have barely possessed sufficient means to live with decency, and in some cases, at least, their travelling expenses and outfit have been defrayed by cheques from London. The Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duchess of Connaught are the only foreigners who have married into our Royal family since the Guelphs came into these realms who have brought any money with them. An extraordinary incident is reported from the Forest of Dean. While a train was running from Longbope to Grangecourt, a distance of three miles, the wife of a non-commissioned officer stationed in Dublin gave birth to a child. There were with her in the compartment— a third-class-one — one or two females. Dr Hearne happened to be at G-rangecourt station at the time, and he proceeded with the woman to Gloucester, where her parents reside. The Dean of Westminster having received from the secretaries of three Protestant societies a joint protest against permitting the Roman Catholic pilgrimage to Westminster Abbey on the festival of Edward the Confeßßor, has replied that no permission had been given for any exceptional service on the day in question, and that he could not discourage any visitor to the abbey from offering private prayer, or question tboae at devotion as to the nature and object of their petitions. Prince Alexandria went to Bulgaria with £100 a year. He leaves it with real property in Bulgaria alone worth £100,000, He has evidently combined business with pleasure during his short career as a Russian agent. Lord Randolp Churchill and Mr Lowe are the latest accessions to the turf. The Chancellor of the Exchequer's few horses will be trained in the same stable as the Lord Privy Seal's and the Master of the Buckhounds' ; and Mr Lowe (an American) has joined the Kingsclerc stable. H e is reported to have offered £8000 for the "crack" Irishbred two year old, The Baron. The Duke of Connaught's stud has been sold at Tattersall's, and excellent prices were realised. Snowflake is a very charming grey pony, was bought for 230 guineas for the Duchess of Montrose. The pair of oobs. which were much admired, went to Major Bgerton at 315 guineas. Of the horses, Mr Angerstein gave 160 guineas for Sweetheart, and 115 guineas for Mason, while Cornet brought 135 guineas; " The whole lot fetched their full value. A woman named Skinner was sorting rags at Measr* Johnston's paper mills, St Mary Cray, when she found a lady's dress improver containing a number of French coins and postal notes amounting in value to £40. At Glasgow Circuit court, Lord Caighill asked a juryman named Halliday to take off his hat in court. Halliday refused to do so, and said he would not unless when he was worshipping God. He was then ordered out of court. M. Maurice Bernhardt, the son of Madame Sarah Bemhardt, the actress fought a duel with swords at Park, with M. Langlois, an artist, who exhibited a painting caricaturing Madame Bemhardt. M. Langlois was wounded.