Personalities

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 373, 2 July 1903, Page 7

Personalities

LADY HARCOURT. * ST*HE wife of that old Parliamentary $JJfc hand, Sir William Harcourt, xj&s seldom appears at Westminster, and her name does not often figure in Society Lady Harcourt: prefers the quiet VHigote ;lifeS IShe isJ&e : clever daughter 6f?4 great man who was at once novelist.Shisterian, and ambassador, and- is therefore, with the grandson of an archbishop. The ■novelist, historian, and ambassador' was Mr. Lothrop Motley, whose «History of the Dutch Republic' made him famous and almost immortal. It was at the Bar* court home that Motley died, now more than. 30 years ago, and there are many I things at Malwood to recall him, s ; SIR EDWARD GREY. A keen and gifted Edward Grey is one of the most popifar members of the House of Commons, and his .enthusiasm for politics is only-second to his love of sport. A* great angler and one of the world's tennis players, he finds it hard at times to resist the claims of these fascinating pastimes even when his party calls him, yet he comes of a great political family, he hi a fine speaker, his. Parliamentary manner is perfect. On the public iplatform he always attracts great audiences, and his speeches never fall to the level of commonplace. He is forty years of age, and has been a baronet for just about half that time/ }£\ i ~3 ' 1 1 HEAD OF THE NAVY. -„Loh1 .Selborne has something in him of Mr. Chamberlain's spirit. It came to him, perhaps, when his lordship was I Under-Secretary with Mr. Chamberlain at the ColonialOffl 3e. The Earl is a-son-in-law of Lo-d Salisbury, and ohly r sonjof the lawyer and statesman #ho smde lis fame as Roundell Palmer|anf| bfeame tjhe first Lord Selbourne. Fcjr some' years the present First Lord of the Admiralty was Chief Whip of the Liberal Unionists in the House of Commons, and he was so much at "home in the Lower House that he left it with great reluctance, and was, indeed—as sticklers for the constitution would say—absurdly obstinate. 'lam a peer of the realm, bat not .a lord of. Pas-! liament,' he said, in backing up his claimto stay in the Commons ; but the Speaker wasagaiasthim, and the Navy is ruled to<day from the House of Lords. The appearance of Minister y ia*the Courts is not a frequent* ffdfeWrfelcelaiid -rarer still is thf sp|ctac)ol36% appearing againa* the &rewW ! Mrd Sflbourne has had the distinction. He was at his present post when judgment was given against Mm by Mr. Justice Ken-; hedy "and Mr. Justice Phillimore in a claim by the Crown for succession duty on the Blackmoor, Estate. The Earl appealed -against the judgment, and the Master of the Rolls and Lords Justices Sterling and Mathew granted his appeal, A LADY POLITIC|&&,§ ||:# i. Lady Francis Balfour has the unique distinction of having a Prime MinisterjSs a brother-in-law and a sister-in-law *in Princess Louise. Lady Frances if the daughter of the last Duke of Argyll, whose enthusiasm she shareß, and she has profound convictions of her own 'which would lead her, if the necessity arose, to fallow her husband's example and resign any position rather than sacrifice an opinion. Her marriage to Colonel Eustace the Prime Minister's younger, her opportunities which sbe has not been slow to realise; and in the lobby Lady Fraaces Balfour is not, an unfamiliar figure.;; '*.'. i ;-t-SM

Don't kill the lovo of a devoted woman by so-called innocent flirtations. jj Don't forget thatyour wife has «» birthday. A small present, accompanied by a ■kiss and a loving word, is quite as much appreciated as » costly gift. ;. -,!| ..VDon't forgetu'thtftiybar wife needs rscreatioH at times, just as much as yourself. ' '

H; Don't think that your wife can manage on £1 per week, while you keep quite as much for your own pocket. Don't get out of temper if breakfast is a fraction r >t a minute late. An overclouded morning denotes a stormy day. \ ..Don't interfere in household matters. That is your wife's department, and you know little or nothing about it. Don't neglect to take an, interest in your wife's dr&is] and> above all, allow her sufficient money to -dress'according to your station.

NOTES AND NOTIONS.' the question of-the 'odd-and-end" seat has ever been quite satis-■: f atß"s*Ss'jßolYed! I country house. I have lately quitted we 1 always had tea in the great halli This meal was placed qh three or four tsbles.jand SfetKe house-plily wasf| large one, somet~hihgio: tcWnature of Jp 'occasionalcchairr r -wal needed by at leaatt half a dozen people. | ? .& %J+ . £ ;£V Things wit&t backs* did not answer, and in a large ' circle one wants a seat upon which one caa revolve, and stools tip over so easily. .^'.r f -->r v-« j • • ;• .-.■ ', , I thinK the "solution of the difficulty was hit on by the manufacture of a few very low, broad (in fact, perfectly square) stools, "each wita four legs, carved in Queen Anne style, and not more than 'eightinehes high. On the tops Were fixed square, somewhat tightly-stuffed cushions, edged with cord, and very * thick through.'

■j -Big, square cushions in Turkish style had been tried for; the floor,!? but; -Were rather too low, and so hard to' arise from.

'Comfy' Chaibs.

I am frankly " v foner of' a very low seat, and I like it broad and square and ' cobby in the leg! But that is only for now and then, and the high-cbair for many purposes, nearly straight in the back and with arms, is quite delightful. The armß are half the battle, I think.

I know a perfectly charming sort that has a high, narrow back', snd the arms come round to the front in a comfortablyembracing curve. It is'such a nice chair to talk from.

So ia the orthodox grandfather species ; bnt that, though an ideal winter chair, is rather hot in summer, on account of all the stuffing enframing one's head. There ought to chairs for hot weather, though the old-fashioned kind, whose seat and back are both made of wicker, is a'good 'Bort. : •

Fob Afternoon Tea. Talking of tea, I .never had any affection for the orthodox qiake-stand, |bj»t I think the following is a new' notion for such a meal aa I have jnst been describing. A couple of small tables, square-topped, are fitted with glass trays the same size, with wooden edges and brass handlesnothing to scratch nor mark with hot water —and, as these are interchangeable, they can easily be 'swopped'' when one part of the room has got tired of its first set of cakes, and would like to try the other trayf aL