LADIES' GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2722, 16 May 1906, Page 65

LADIES' GOSSIP.

1 i — Queen Alexandra brought back with ! her from her Danish home a great quantity of baggage, which took a full hour to land from the train at Victoria station \ and to pack into the carriages sent from ' the Pimlico mews for the purpose. Several , of the trunks and packing-cases contained j a selection of the personal possessions ' which her Majesty has kept for years in ! the personal apartments reserved f<use of herself and the Dowager 1 of Russia in the Amalienborg aiiu -»— Bernstorff Slot. Some of these were gifts J made by her parents from time to time, j and they now have a pathetic interest, j and are already being arranged in the • Queen's private quarters at Sandringham 1 and elsewhere. Then there are photo- . graphs of her Majesty's Danish relatives, ' singly and in groups, extending over a 1 long period- of years. Some of them are ' being put into . new frames of .a^ simple ' d.esign, while others are ' oemg "^ransfeifed to a family alßum' "of large^diinerisibSig. " There are also some personal- irelics of the late King Christian;., which- haye_ cQme to his sorrowing daughter' as her share in/ the distribution made "by" the new head' - of the family before "the party broke up last week. Still other treasures, consist of the gifts received from the late Czar, . from King George of .Greece, from- humble acquaintances jn every part of Denmark, j" and a few books which are endeared to the : Queen by the fact that they were read ! together by the royal sisters in the happy ; times that will be no more. Her Majesty j was prompt to recognise the alteration • in her status at the Danish Court by the death of her revered father, and she has ( accordingly intimated to her eldest 1 brother, the new King, that she will not expeci him to retain the apartments which for many a long day have born her name in the domestic economy of the royal palaces. The Queen );rs acquired a property, in conjunction with her sister Dagmar, upon the shores- of the sound, and some of her personal effects have been left behind, to be transferred to this new home as soon as it car be put into thorough order. > —It is said that Mrs Bradley Martin. 1 one of the New York "four hundred." is ' planning a great ball that will far surpass j anything that even this lavish hostess has , ever achieved. It will be given in Lon- I don. The New York American says that Mrs Martin has set aside. £100,000 just ' for the sole expense of the function itself, j This will go for the music, the,, flowers ' and ferns, and electric decorations, 'the , wine and viands, the' stationery and en- J graving, the chefs and servitors', the 'fa- j. yours, and the other, necessary, luxuries, j £200.000 is the sum that Mrs Martin has jotted down to designate the value of her . own costume. She' is going to" appetir Jier- " self as the Queen of Sheba.' No "other * historical personage quite suggests the pos- | sibility* of splendour in dress that she does. Her robe is to be of royal purple, the front of which, and the borders of the j train, 25 yards long, will be one almost solid inccustation of. rubies, emeralds, turquoises, sapphires, and pearls. '• .. ' — Ever since it, has been so enthusiastic- j ally taken up by the Queen and the ; Duchess of Fife and her daughters, angling j has become the popular recreation amongst ladies. Some of the best known society fisherwomen are the Marquise d'Hautpoul, Lady Constance .Richardson, and Lady j Chesterfield, whilst the youngest royalty j to take to the sport is Princess Mary of Wales, who has been seen at work with ' , her lod on the Birkhall and Abergeidie | , pools. Prince Arthur of Connaught is ] also a good fisherman. j — The little Lord Romilly, who is the < youngest peer of his rank in the kingdom, ( < has been unhappily left an orphan by the ' < sad death of his mother, Lady Romilly, which was announced a few weeks ago. it ] is only eight months since Lady Romilly J ] was left a widow by the' death, at the ' ( early age of 39. of her husband, 'the second ; ( Baron, who had succeeded his grandfather, | j the distinguished Master of the Rolls, 12 ; " ( years previously. The deceased lady', who j leaves .no other children, waft the only j sister of Sir Philip Grey-Egerton, twelfth , Baronet of Egerton, and a niece of the Countess of Selkirk. The young peer thus ' early deprived of both his parents has three great-aunts, and the widows of two : of his uncles survive, but he has no near male relative, and there is no heir to the ] title. m i ! — Lord Kelburne, whose engagement is ( announced to Miss Hyacinthe Bell, is the £ eldest son of Lord Glasgow, and followed 1 his father's example when he entered the . ' Royal Navy, in which he has now served j for several years. The bride is the \ youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs William. 1 Bell, who have a country place, Pendell , < Court , Surrey, and a London house in Park * street, Grosvenor square. I — The sticks that Beau Brummel and his < brother beaux twirled with such verve and J grace two centuries ago are again appear- 1

ing in the hands of our modern dandies. It is as yet only a.- recent revival in London ; but for some -time Continental dandies have flourished a dainty evening cane with all the grace of the famous beausr^ of Bath and Trinbridge Wells. The cane is of light malacca, with a knob of gold or silver oD'the head, though often ivory or jewels are set ir gold instead. It, is curiously almost identical with the stick that the English dandy handled with such gay and light-hearted grace up to 60 years ago, though some very curious fashions have ■ intervened. — Baroness Bardett-Coutts's beautiful and life-long interest in others' welfare is stiE as fresh as ever in her ninety -second year. She noticed recently in the newspaper the -it of a gallant rescue of a little child - drowning performed by a lad of 11", -orthwith sent to inquire into his, position and character. As the report was satisfactory,, the Baroness interested herself in obtaining the certificate of the Royal Humane Society for the boy, and a few days ago she had him up at her house in Stratton street and herself presented him with the parchment and other rewards. The kindness and benevolence of this illustrious Victorian woman are not more remarkable than her intellectual qualities: she . has^ given of her great wealth for,' charitable.uses on a large scale; and at' the ; same time has not left undone thft smaller kindnesses \ but in every case' clear judgment, 4nd_' enlarged views!, have .guided her . generosity. In a 'recent communication that _"she sent , to , a society- • foi* =, prompt ingt kindness to animals, there was incidentally - put in a very interesting manner a revelation of her thoughts about life : • she looks < over it from the Pisgah of her years, and „ finds that with all its sorrows and' pains life is still a blessing. "What I want all teachers to do," wrote the aged 'lady, "is to impress upon the children under their instruction the moral obligation of respecting -that great gift of God, life — that gift which man can destroy, but' is utterly powerless to restore. v Everyone should view with reverence and respect the mys- ■ terious principle of life, whether it assumes the form of human being 'or of an animal. Life is life under whatever form it may be found, and it is God's great gift to us all. Ido not think this subject has been treated in the way in which it ought. -- to be — =that is. as it concerns our duty toward^ God as well as towards ourselves.'* That this keen appreciation of life exists in company with the vast sympathy for the sufferings of others that the Baroness's wide charity implies is an interesting fact: To feel not only one's own but the world's woes is usually an over-heavy load. —An intellectual woman frequently , finds her truest recreation and rest in interesting herself in household management? and she shows both womanliness and common sense in .doing so; Clever women, are usually supposed to be ignorant ""and" uninterested regarding domestic affairs' generally, .but. I have~,oftentimes . noticed the reverse, the literary woman, who is often a "stay-at-home," .being" as, * a rule far more- domesticated tha» her athlete ..sister , the "outdoor" girl, whose home is to her merely the place where she sleeps and -eats. - It is - very- often more- the- fa,olt of .the--. parents. .-than of the .4. daughters if- the girls are not so trainerl as to become good housewives. Either because it is less trouble to do things herself, or because she likes, her daughter's „ life to be as' free' as possible, * the* mother will patiently perform duties day after • day which it is only right she should teach her girls so • as to fit ■the.m for the years to- come.. , I am not quite* sure thai. ' a good time when one. is young -nob : worth a little extra work , and trouble i when one has to take up the burden of life. If young girls do use the time . of irresponsibility to lay in a ■ stock . of pleasant memories it will riot be entirelylost, and it does not always follow that; in years to come she should wish she had spent such time in learning to make puddings. — "Yetta,"- in the Liverpool Mercury. — Lord de Clifford, who- lias taken a bride from "the stage, lives iri Ireland, like the peers whose example, in resent years, he has followed. The Ifar:juis of Headfbrt, who married Miss Rosie Boote, lives, in Meath ; the Earl of .Clan- , sarty, who married Mis? Isabel Biltong lives in Galway, in which Lord de Clifford - has his seat ; and the Earl of - Orkney, who/ married Aliss Connie Gilehrist, has x seat 'n Tipperary. Lord de ' Clifford. is in his" twenty-second year, and he is 1 lieutenant in the 'Shropshire' Imperial Yeomanry. The young couple are en route to Abyssinia, where they will spend 1 long honeymoon, thus following the jxample of Lord and Lady Hindlip and several other newiy-marrjed couples who tvent to distant climes for their wedding :our. — Lady Mary Hamilton is one of the. :wo ladies who, had they been born boys nstead of girls, would have inherited lukedoms. The othei is the present' Countess of Strathmore, who would now >c Duke of Portland but for the accident )f sex,* Marquis of Titchfield, Earl of Portland and Viscount Woodstock. Lady. Mary Hamilton's array of titles woul<f

have been still more imposing*, comprising as they do three Dukedoms, those of Hamilton, Brandon, and Chatelherault, the Marquisates of Hamilton, Douglas, and Clydesdale, the Earldoms of Arran and of Angus, and the Baronies of Hamilton, Aven, Polmont, Machanshire, Innerdale, AJwrnethy, Jedburgh, and Dutton. — The Rome- correspondent of a Home paper writas :— " By order of the Pope, ill' Catholic schools had a holiday this year m honour of the King's birthday. This has made the most favourable impression almost everywhere. It is the first time since 1870 that the birthday of an Italian King has been thus recognised. The present liberal-minded Pojpe desires *11 young people to be taught patriotic lentiments as well as ~eUgion. Most of .lbe> military societies in the country gave - Sinners to the poor in honour of the -day, which, being St. Martin's Day, was also *. festival for the soldiers."

— Paris used to talk a great deal about Ihe- Yellow Peril. She has begun again, because this is the title of a new play at }he Vaxideville. But. theatre apart, there is another peril — really, serious this time, [t is the feminine peril. Consider how woman is gaining her %vay in Paris. It's dreadful — for the mere male. The other Say a beautiful young girl of nineteen, 1 student in law, lectured before a whole roomful of people on woman's place in Russian fiction and Russian* society. She :00k people's breath away with her elojuence and her winning charm. Some day the will be. a barrister and plead before the- court. Then her learned friend on the other side, if he happens to be in trousers, will stand no earthly chance. But we forget ! Perhaps the magistrate will be a woman. In that circumstance, especially if the learned counsel ha» decent features and a " killing " moustache, de may yet pull it off — not the moustache,, of course, but the case. Nevertheless, it is a real, '•eal paril, this peril in petticoats. — Sketch.

— A large number of families are in mourning by the death of Lady Howe, among others those of her sisters — Lady Wimborne, Lady De Ramsey. Dowager Duchess of Roxburghe, and Lady Sarah -Wilson — and her nephews the Duke of Marlborough and the Duke of Roxburghe. Like all the CEurchilla, she was very able, and .-she had- a- great power of organisation. Except for her love and knowledge of music she was more masculine in her tastes than her- sisters. She had fought for life in the most marvellous way. When she was leaving Buckingham Palace on the night of the Court, ball, the night before she was taken ill, Lady Howe was in such pain that she ' hardly knew how to get home, yet she never complained. Nest

morning she was paralysed and speechless, jlt was vesy pathetic (sa£s a London, writer) • to see Tier at the rare intervals when she went out, particularly at the, last Windsor Castle garden party, where she wa* wheeled' about in. her bath-chair. The Queen Was so charming' to her; and' walked over to her and stood' talking to her for a long time. i — The Princess Royal, Duchess of Fife, . attained her- 39th birthday on Tuesday, : February 20. She was born. Princess Louise of Wales, she married a nobleman who sat down to the wedding breakfast an earl and rose from the meal a duke. Her new style, that of Princess Royal, was the King, her father's gift to her upon his last birthday. Her Royal Highness has two daughters, one nearly 15 years of age, the younger nearly 13. The King has made the two daughters of the Princess Royal' "Highness" and "Princess." 1 They get royal blood from their father as well as their mother. The Duke, of Fife is a grandson, of the Countess of Erroll, who was a daughter of William IV. 1 I — This is the age of tall Queens and small Kings. It -is a curious fact that in 1 the case of nearly every royal married ( I couple in Europe, the wife is taller than j the husband. The Czar, who is consider- \ 1 ably below the average height of men, is . I fully a head shorter than his beautiful and majestic Czarina. The Kaiser, who is a well-grown man, is, nevertheless, overj topped by the German Empress. King. , Victor Emmanuel of Italy scarcely ieache3 up to the shoulders of Queen Helena, who is an unusually tall woman, while he is a diminutive man- King Charles- of Porj tugal is also overtopped by his Queen, ; although 1 - he makes up in rotundity of , body whit he lacks in height. { I — The utter uselessness of many, presents presented^ to young married people is very j sensibly commented upon in the World. I Silver-plaf;« continues to be neaped upon l brides- who most often can put it to little ! use, and some young couples who begin , life in a tiny house find themselves en- ' \ cumbered with. a. grand piano. There are so many useful things one might give to J a bride, and for labour-saving one of the , -following articles would be a wise choice : j A carpet-sweeper, a mincing machine, or j a knife-cleaner. For 0 young housewife 1 bride an uncommon present would be a j pastry-board and rolling-pin. These are not ornaments, but are what every house- ! wife requires. Or, what would also be j of tremendous value, the things that are required on~ washing days, such as a wash-ing-bath, copper-stick, clothes basket, clothes line, and pegs. — The Englishwoman with red roses in her hair, a cigarette between her lips, ' and a lace mantilla has no more of the witchery of the Spaniard than the latter ( would have of the Englishwoman's charm were she arrayed like the simple English ! girl. One shudders to think of what the Spanish craze would resolve itself into when it reached what is called the height of popularity. — "Ambrosia," in the World. — That most urbane of reformers, who writes in the New York Outlook under the pseudonym of "The Spectator," comt ments, in a recent issue of that journal, on the two-edged burden — the wedding pre- _ sent. Unlike the quality of mercy, it is 1 often anything but a blessing either to , her that gjjes or her that takes. "A woman," says the Spectator, "was heard to -say, ' Just think of it ! Three weddings in the next two weeks ! That means three handsome presents, and I ( don't give that for one of the brides,' "and she snaped her fingers significantly." . Of course, the presents were bought, and sent' "with dearest love," only to join , the vast host of similar gifts placed under ( the protection of a special policeman until they should be consigned to the safedeposit vault. Musing on the usual glowing reports of these occasions, the Spectator devised one of his own : '"The bride had a very few gifts ; but there was also a very great display of cut glass, silver pieces, and articles of costly ornamentation, which were left with, total indifference and more or les3 reluctance in her keeping." The bride's trials, it seems, are quite as irksome- as those of her dear friends. For .example, at one wedding, at which the guests numbered some 200, tha gifts included some 32 bonbonnieres, I all very much, alike, and six water-bottles which resembled each other as so many peas in a pod. "Mother," said the bride, 'if another one of those things comes in, I don't care who sends it, please don't show it to me." Another little bridal tragedy recorded by the Spectator is the case of a lady who was eoing to face domesticity on an income of 18dol a week, and who received as wedding presents 27 bowls of cut glass, all of liberal size. — Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg- j Gotha has been thought by many people to be better looking than her cousin, Princess Ena. She is, of course, a daughter of the late Duke of Saxe-Coburg (the Duke of Edinburgh) and of the Duchess Marie of Russia. Her three sisters were all married at 17. There is some talk oi

a projected alliance between Princess Beatrice and her cousin, Prince Arthur of Connaught. The Princess will be -22 in April, and although slie is a year older than Prince Arthur, a marriage between them would be very popular. Neither of them has a large fortune but Prince Arthur is so useful to his Majesty, a born diplomat, and an enthusiastic soldier, so that his future will be a brilliant one.

— Mme. Melba recently granted' an interview to a well-known journalist at her beautiful house in Cumberland place, wearing a graceful skirt of dove-coloured velvet. Her corsage was of ivory lace, devoid of ornament, save for the rope of costly pearls that fell almost to her waist. Apart from three fine diamond rings, she wore no other jewellery, but her camellia- j circled 1 hat — a* Parisian work of art — was a strong reminder of her recent role of Vio- | letta in "La Traviata," wherein, by the way, her display of Jewells was the talk of the town. Like her hats, Melba's house is absolutely unique. The music room, j drawing; room, dining room, library, and boudoir were modelled after a part of the Palace of Versailles, and for their planning and completion Mme. Melba brought over from- Paris the foremost decorative artists. The carpets in the dining room ' and library- are of palfr leaf-green, and the I hangings 'and' upholstery are of the same colour,, relieved with> rose and gold. Antiquelace-, rare prints, and a remarkable toilet table service, and the bed on which oha Dauphin of France spent' the last night- of his royal state are the main features of madame's sleeping chamber, which is of delicate ivory, brightened faintly with gold and pale, pink. The bed, which ie of ihe Louis XIV pericd, is draped from ceiliug to floor, with priceless antique lace. This is repeated on ths dressing table, in the top of winch is inserted" a. masterpiece by Millet. On the shelf » spread a toilet table service, which looks like amber, but which is in reality spotless tortoiseshell, each piece glittering with a large * M*' in damonds. Adjoining this is the diva's dressing room, also in peai-ly white, with furnishings of striped brocade. The lop of the washstand is of 2in crystal, with » uniquely-bevelled edge. The basin and ewer are of solid silver encrusted with gold, and the china is Sevres of the early Louis XTV days. The toilet appointments on the dressing table are of hammec^L gold adorned with lily-of-the-valley cflnHpi iv pearls, diamonds, and turquoises. "T like everything that is beautiful, but I like pearls best of all," Mme. Melba. dec!c-rcs.

— Lady Naylor-Leyland is lend'ag Ikt London house for the exhibition and sale of the Welsh Industries Asso^ia'io'i in May. Hyde Park House- is renownsd for its beautiful tapestries, pictures, an<; its fine marble staircase. Lady Naylor-Ley-land is an American. She took London by storm when, as a. young and beautiful girl, she first made her appearance m English society. Since Sir Herbert Naylo* 1 Levland's death in 1899 his widow das devoted the greater part of her time to L.r two boy 6, with whom she constantly 6ti.ys in North Wales.

— The latest fad of the independent woman of the day is, says a Paris correspondent, to send for the ironmonger to affix a tiny brass knocker to the door of her boudoir. The etiquette of the boudior knocker is already being crystallised into a tradition, and society dames of the sir art set discuss the bearings of the new idea with much zest when they are to%ctler. My lady's maid is expected to v&e her knuckles upon the panel of the door afi if the knocker were not there. This piece of furniture is strictly reserv d for crllers who have the privilege of the entree, and it is becoming no uncommon tiling fcr visitors, instead of being shown int.) the dTawing room or the library, ac thej' vmm! to be in the good old days, to be uahe'cd direct to the upper floor, and left tc. nu-ke their presence known for all the worM as if they were still standing at lie f"ont door of the house. The idea is ail i cry well in its way, and a good many spsuoua arguments are adduced in favour of the boudoir knocker. But the innovation is just one of those things which come aiir'er the category of things that are better left alone.

— Supposing the franchise was considerably extended, and admitted not only woman's suffrage >o the head of a house, but to all — why, tbert> there would scarcely be a dozen, women in Sngland who would not use their vote. If wsman had it, she would undoubtedly use he> right. How would she use it? I d<* not kjiow, and I dare not guess. Would- it be t?*. please a father, husband, or friend ; to farther a brother's career ; to spite a neighbour's wife; or even, alas! merely to assist the cause of the most handsome candidate whose portrait appears in an illustrated paper. But why be cynical — or, if so, why not be cynical all round? Do men always vote from a pure sense of duty ; do they never think of personal advantages? — "Lady Phyllis," in the Bystander.

— Mrs E. M. Bangs's plan of raising housework to a higher standard in the same way that nursing has been raised from a rather haphazard calling to the dignity of a profession has received much favourable attention at the hands of students of the domestic problem, Mrs Bangs appears to have formulated' her scheme first at a conference on household questions at the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893. Since then two schools founded on the same basic idea have been started in different parts of the country. -Mrs Bangs's scheme calls for the organisation of the well-known women of the city or town which decides to try her plan into a company. This company is to take a house, where housework in all branches should be taught, diplomas being granted for mastery in any or alt of the various grades of work. A- high-class employment office should be included in the plan. The company would hold itself responsible for the work done by its graduates and would 1 pay for the work, so the question of wages would never come up between housewife and houseworker. It is thought that the fact that a woman is working under the mana£enj.ent of 4^ ''£2?1Jgap,2,." 2£ *j fe us^"

ness basis, would raise her work in her own eyes and in those of the community, and that a better class would enter into domestic employment.

— Japanese "Silent" Music. — A curious ceremony is performed in Japan by the Court musicians at certain Shinto festivals. Both stringed and wind instruments are used, but it is held that no sound should be allowed to falL upon unworthy ears, and, as some of the ears present might be unworthy, all the motions of playing are gone through by the musicians, but not a single sound is heard. This strange custom dates back many generations, but since the advent of civilisation has rapidly- lost favour. —Mr Wentworth C. Beaumont, M.P., the new Vice-Chamberlnin of the Household, would have been occupying a pesition in a different Court had the late Shah of Persia had his way. Mr Beaumont's mother, Lady Margaret de Burgh, the first daughter of the first Marquis of Clanricarde, was a woman of surpassing loveliness. The late Shah during his visit to England was hopelessly smitten by her charms, and offered her family £500,000 if he might be allowed to carry her back to Persia. Needless to say, this truly Oriental offer was refused.

.—. — Fortunes have been lavished upon shoes. Men as widely apart in every circumstance of life as Sir Walter Raleigh and I Caligula had their shoes enriched with 1 precious stones to the value of thousands of pounds. _ When the- tomb of- Henry VI j of Sicily, who died in 1197, was opened in [ the cathedral of Palermo, shoes made of clotk-of-gold' and embroidered with, pearls . were found on the dead- Monarches feet, i and also on those of hia^Queen. In the j time of Louis XVI of France, the cour1 tiers of Versailles were remarkable for their boots, the tops of which were enormously large and wide and were decorated ; with "a profusion of costly lace. Even j horseshoes have been made to serve the ; purposes of extravagance and display. Sabina Poppaea, the beautiful and luxuryloving wife of the Roman Emperor Nero, is said to have had her mules shod with gold. AU the world over, horseshoes are ! supposed to possess some occult power of attracting luck and waiding off evil. — Liidy Strathcona, who has contributed 10,000 guineas to the Queen's Fund for the unemployed, stipulating- that 9000 guineas [ should be employed in emigrating suitable persons to Canada, is a Canadian by birth. She was Miss Isabella Hardisty when, 6ix decades ago, she married young Donald Smith, the friendless Scottish emigrant, who has worked his way up from v humble post in the Hudson's Bay Company to a ■peerage, vast wealth, and the High Conimissionership for Canada in London. —Is it true that the hair of American women turns grey much earlier than that of women of other countries? There are those who make the assertion. It is, too^ ' say these, a more thorough grey. . While the locks of a British or French woman will late in lira sho-w a few "basting threads," the head of an American woman 'at a much younger- age will be quite blanched, or at least frosted. To two things may the cause of the tendency be ascribed : American air and American atmosphere — terms not at all synonymous, says the London Sun. If the former turns leaves, why should it not turn hair? Whi'e what the latter may accomplish through the agencies of ice water, hot bread, and worry needs no comment. Early grey hair, as a rule, means inability to cope with nerve-destroying things. It is declared to be largely a matter of temperament. — The King and Queen of Italy are said, to be the quietest royaL couple in Europe ; but there is one amusement whicn never fails them, and of which they 1 often avail themselves, and that is a little run to their shooting-box on the island of Monto Cristo. One day they set out from Rome for an outing there. On the crowded railway platform the Queen, unrecognised, helped a mother to pick up a little one, and was aeked not to block the way. When she got separated for a moment from the three gentlemen of the royal party, the smallest of the three men was heard to say, "Elena, Elena, do not be rash. Keep close to us." — Born Lady Beatrice Butler, the elder of Lord Ormonde's daughters, Sir Reginald ±*ole Carew's wife is one of the handsomest, women in London. The General is 27 years his wife's senior, but no marriage _ was ever better entitled to be called a love match. "Polly" is the name by jrhich Sir Reginald has been known, to his military comrades since he was a subaltern. He is still reputed to be the best-looking man in the army. — Since he made tlie acquaintance of Princess Ena, King Alfonso has developed a pronounced liking for his future brother-in-law, young Prince Alexander of Battenberg," who is under the command of his sailor uncle, Admiral Prince Louis of Battenberg. It is quite on the cards, it is said in Paris, that Prince Alexander may follow his sister into the Roman Catholic Church and become a Spaniard. The late Empress Marie of Russia, when she went from Hesse to St. Petersburg on her marriage, took her brother along with her to live in Russia. He entered the Russian service, and was the grandfather of Princess Ena and of young Alexander of Battenberg.

— The French, as a nation, enjoy a world-wide reputation for gallantry towards the fair sex, and it is therefore perhaps not very surprising to find that, even in their law courts, a member of the fair sex seems, as a rule, to enjoy special consideration. A good instance of this is the recent case of Mile. Carlier, of the Odeon Theatre; who was sued by a furrier for the sum of about 500 -guineas, the value of a magnificent fur cloak, in which the beautiful actr-efes has repeatedly beei* photographed. Her contention was that the cloak was presented to her $>y the furrier for this very purpose, and that hehad been amply repaid by the splendid reclame which, these photographs had given him. Her case was supported both by the letters written by the plaintiff himself, which certainly seemed to imply that no payment was expected, and also by stfttfi.mgn.tfi from, various other. Bis.t.ux§

post-card beauties, who protested thsU they never dreamed of paying |or articles^ of "wearing apparel". when th'ese r ~'w<ere .em- !- ployed £6 photographic advertisements- by the firm that supplied them. When the case was first? decided in favour of Mile. Carlier — described by the farrier himself as "the most delicious child of the civilised world" — the inconsistent pelt 3 purr veyor' appealed; but the higher court confirmed the original decision, so that the young lady is now 500 guineas' worth, of sables to the good.