ANCHOVIES AND TOAST.

Auckland Star, Volume V, Issue 1303, 11 April 1874, Page 2

ANCHOVIES AND TOAST.

THE DUKE OF'EDIJSBUKGH's WBttHHG We don't know here whether yon W » be en as excited about the Russian Tvetldinr < as we have in England, but for the sab J everyone of taste and sense in New Zealand T sine erely li ope you-haven't. The papers hay been absolutely drivelling about Czats an* Monjiks, ancJ Troikas, and Mosques a J Minarets, and eyery imaginable description of Russian names* khown and unknown ! Journalists have been raki.ng back old history • and they have got old of ai? °ld yarn ab<%f some pretty little girl belonging to 'a Koy a x Family of England before th^ 90nWest "! having been carried . off toßßussi a by a Northern_ Prince, and so now the poke's marriage is a kind o£ " choppee for chanefeV' "tit for tat," and all,that kind of $tl Then each day since the^ Duke left this place there- hare been columns If festivities, and all sorts of grand floina on his way to St ; Petersburgh, and si UCe E arrived there it has been the same. Thenft ■ list of names, and what all the great foli said at the different stages of their 'iournaV who said what, and which officer -carried th Prince of Wales' hat-box, and what th Princess lunched on, and who had thehonn 6 of airing the Duke's nightshirt. The thin? has been intolerable. Of course the mar riage ceremony was described with infinite detail. That was to be expected. AndtV reporters did not leave the "happy p^i until they "advanced to the door of their private suite ofapartments, acrosswljU a curtain was drawn, and beyond -which it would be impertinence to intrude." N 0 (~i all, Mr Jeames. Pray go on, fend let the public have further details. I only wonder the "specials"'did., not interview the uair early the next morning. They might ha^ ; given us some such .conversation as you may find in Troilus and Cressida, when Uncle Pandarno turns up about the small hourg I don'b suppose you would; thank m e ' if I transcribed a long rigmarole about the wedding ceremony. It must doubtless have been exceedingly gorgeous. ;The ..Russian Court put on its begt on the occasion' to do honour to our Royal Family. The bride was.' so loaded with jewellery as to be almost unable to sustain the weight of diamonds, etc., during the later portion of the English ser- • vice. Her marriage portion is very handsome, but both that and the Imperial wedding presents are to revert to Russia in case of there being no■". issue of the marriage. The Duchess'of Edinburgh is not by any means handsome, but she has a kind good - natured face, -which perhaps is better :.than beauty, and she is said to be .extremely loveable. She speak } English Veil.' and is a great favourite with the Prince of Wales and his wife. Altogether the connection seems to be regarded asa happy one, and although it has.no political significance, every link of the kind nrasfc have more or less effect in cementing goodfeeling between the c^ntaf- Jery great >; preparations are being ma,™ f _or *he W*sm of the pair in England, a^d the Queen « about as excited as an elderly and &&&& old lady in her position can be expected to be. They say the Duke is her favou™e soa '

MR GLADSTONE AND DISSOLTJJHH*. s;" But while the meat was yet in onrmoni^i, Mr Gladstone fell upon us with all the throes! of a dissolution, and all the startling, effect. of a cannon shot. It was perhaps' jus? asV well that something occurred at the time to' divert bur attention, for we were beginning to feel our brains softening over diamond tiaras, and opal coronets, and ermine robes, and sparkling brilliants.. "The Duke's Marriage" stared at us in big letters from ever£ adveiy tising board, and rows of.the'&Ghduchess/ Marie simpered and giggled, atms in hundreds from every stationer's window. The affair was at its climax, and it required the ■ most devoted loyalty Ao prevent _ ones mentally consigning the whole thing to eternal oblivion, when—Hah ! presto! Hay whole scene was changed, and in*.; ment we were transformed ■ from festive wedding guests to frantic politicians in the midst of a general elec&on. The ionduct of Mr Gladstone has' IBeen . severely criticised on all sides, and 'the _ more deep thinking and isober-mmdeduof his1 own party have loudly ,cpndemned o ,^action which displays a willingness to jsacnfioe tie public for private and party interests. On I the morning of the 23rd it was clearly under-. stood, as it had been for at least a montti I previously, that Parliament-would assembly I on the sth inst. Oh the ievenin^of : the23rd» I was announced by the Government whip to I TVi> Gladstone's supporters! that a Cabinet I Council had been held-,.and,tha^the^; I Ti ad been to dissolve Parliament. 1» I nSSLing MrGladstone' ? manifMg I form of an address to the dectota^ ,G»ea I wich appeared, bccCj>y^^e|gg^J the Times. He excii^d »» I ground that the Oove^^nt had ** I had since the previous MarehJ* ggj; I ing majority in the House, and **. y■ ■ sequence of their weakness the^ 1 taken advantage of them to reject*., ■ their ■bfest-measures... He plonked, a.uj, m country evinced a renewed confidence i? I Ministryrtocome;forwaT^'witfi Lineaßw«. m for the abolition of the~; income & | the equaHsation' of^lofcal '«^n^. | extension of the franchise, »'»": jrf ■ fast table, andfa surplus of fiveiA» H the trick is really too-transparent, an ■_ one is taken m by-it. IChe Arttth M >jent election results have ,™*Z j**8 M B country by surpriae , to "Kaa,-W° ?-■ V'-{oi, H seats.' This fliey certainly will not oj^. H the contrary, ■so bitter is tiw M H against them that there can fee { - &i W they will be worse off at the w 6■ X elections than they would^f^W W they kept quiet. C°uPs A d*sJ£<&*W fashionable just now, and g»*JJJ o f c«J"B to have taken a leaf out of the Doo* m tinental politics. In England used to thfekjfcid ?,of, ■ H rather indignaj^; at ; tn!^S^^B