TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 199, 25 August 1886, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

[FOR MAIL VIA 'FRI3CO OF JULY 10.1 (KUOM ".STAIi" LONDON COHRIMI'ONDENT.) Precis. A Bcsy Week,—Oxford and Cambridge CkK'ket Match: Victory of Oxford.— The Jni.v Wkrk at Newmarket.—Royal Patronage.—Ye arlino Sai.ii.s.—KxritNßlVß Youngsters.—Purchase for the I'rince ok Wales.—A 3.9C0 GUINKA Ykahlings Debut.—3t. Mary.—The July Stakes.— Tub Yardlky and Bi.anknky Salks.— Chesterfield Stakes,—Melton Snows i} 3autv.-Hksi.et Regatta,—Results,— DKAin of Cora Pearl—Her '.tranoe Career.—Descent to Poverty.—Publication of Her AvroniociUAi'HY.—Hoi.i-O--iv.vv'B Example.—Lord Caiiots's Engagement With Miss Grant.—Precarious Social Position ok Americans.—Kton v, Harrow. London, July IG. As it is impossible for oven tho most determined sightseer to be in two places at once, our colonial visitors found them?elvos obliged to chooae, between Henloy Kcgatta and tho fashionable July race mooting at Neffinarkot last week. On Monday and Tuesday, of course many wont to Lords to sco tho Inter University cricket match, and tho result was rv surprise According to tho trial matches, Cambridge should havo scored an easy victory, whoroas Oxford won by 133 runs. The bowling of Bainbridgo for tho " light bluce" was greatly admired by coloninl cognoscenti ; indeed, tho groat Spotlorth had previously ?ronouueed it "real cute and cunning." 'he heroes of the Oxford eleven wero Ras leigh and Key, who, between thorn, scored 250 out of 304 runs made by tho "dark bluos " in their eecond innings. The Princo and Princess of Waloe, and a whole host of lessor royalties and " eonioty " people, honoured Newmarket with their presence during tha greater part of the race. Tho enclosures here are woll nigh tha only public place whero royalties can walk about unnoticed like common folk. The Prince of Waloa and Prince Albert Victor are now co well known to all turfitoa that thoy attract no attention whatever. Moreover, if any "Jugginga" should be seen to bo staring unduly, or dogging Royalty's movement?, he ia quickly and quietly admonished that the Princo or Princess (whichever it Inppons to be) doesn't like it, and made to desist Tis au understood regulation,. which all the habitue's assist towards carrying out, that Royalties are to be practically incognito at Newmarket. The yearling sales which form Buch an attractive feature of the July week worn ns well attended as usual, but we heard of no phenomenal prices boing paid. Buyers probably boro well in mind that of tho 20 high - priced youngsters for which an aggregate of no leas than £10,000 waa paid in ISB4 only 2, Arcadien and St. Alvere have proved worth a dump for racing purposes. St. Mary (the eister to Peregrins, Queen Adelaide, and St. AWere, for whom Mr Abington gave 3,900 guineas at last yoar'sj Blankney Bale, made hor debut in the July Stakes on Tuesday, but was not backed with any degree of confidence. The filly ran an indifferent third to tho Ascot New Stakes winner, Enterprise, who won very easily from Prince Soltykoffs Hugo (by Mask-Cockleshell), a great paddock tip. Enterprise, like St. Mary, ran into three figures as a youngster, Mr Douglas Baird bidding 2,000 guinea? for the colt at the Yardley Sale. Notwithstanding the fact that the two-year-old sister to Paradox (a filly named Anomaly) has been turned out of training as useless, John Porter (acting for the Prince of Waleß) bought the crack's yearling brother for 3,100 guineas on Wednesday. This was the highest price paid for a yearling during the week. John Daweon gave 2,350 guinea* for a brother to Beaudesert, and Mr Douglas Baird 1,000 guineas for a colt by Sterling—Coral. Tho nine yearlings from Yardley which changed hands, realised 12,000 guineas, but there was a marked decline in the biddings for the Blankney youngsters, the lot averaging only SOO guineas a-piece. When one remembers, however, that Hermit is now '23 year old, this does not seem so bad. Sir George Chotwynd's Stetchworth, who bad won a good race at Windsor tho previous week, was made a rare "pot" for tho time - honoured Chesterfield Stakes on Thursday, backers laying 5 to 2 on him in a field of five. The colt was the first of the lot to compound, and tho raco fell to Mr Benbolm's Freahwator (by Beaudesert — Broakwater) who woo by a head from Mr Comba's Maxim and the Duke of Westminster's Freedom, the latter a very promising filly by Doncaster, out of Treia, In the July Cup over the last six furlonga of the Banbury Mile Melton gave U3 a taste of his quality and again evidenced what a wonder Ormonde must bo, by conceding a stone and giving a good beating to such clippars as the almost invincible Brighton, the Lincolnshire Handicap winner, Falmen aud the City and Suburban second Highland Chief. Tho ring entirely disbelieved in the ability of Lord Haatings's Derby winner to compasa euch a task, and despite the fact that Archer s immediate friends sent £2,000 into the market to back the colt with, they fielded staunchly, so that 6 to 4 could be obtained up to th 9 last. Brighton, also, was heavily backed, but found the company too good. At tho distance Archer let Melton out, and won comfortably by three-quarters of a length. At Henley Regatta tha most interesting struggle was for the Diamond S. Challenge Sculls (final heat), in which Pitman, after a terrific struggle, wore down his old opponent and conqueror, Union. Tha latter collapsed completely a few yards from home, leaving Pitman to finish alono. The Grand Challenge Cup fell to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, B.C. ; the Thames Challenge Cup to Londcn Rowing Club, tho Ladies' Plate to Pembroke College, Cambridge, Eton 2nd, and both the Stewards and Wyfold Cups to the Thames R.C. The death is announced of the notorious Cora Pearl, the original of Zola's " Nana," and the Queen of Parisian demimonde under the Empire. A London paper, noticing Cora's career, observes that " no severe moralist who shall undertake to draw a faithful pisture of Paris under the second Napoleon can leave her figure out." On summer afternoons in the Bois, when the Emperor passed in one carriage and Cora in another, one might have asked which was the equipage of the chief of the 'State. There was as much gold on the liveries of one as of the other, iv< much satin on the cushions and quite as much dust." This went on for years: Paris enjoying it because it waa so bizarre. Cora (unlike her prototype "hand"), was ill-favoured, and her manners were those of the stable. The one charm she possessed was a superb crop of dull red gold hair, which foil down like a thick mane almost to her feet Her admirers were oountless till the collapse of the Empire. Then it was discovered that Cora was an old woman. Paris turned its back upon hor remorselessly, and as she had never saved sixpence, her fall into utter poverty and contempt was rapid. Last summer, by way of raising a hone3t pound or two, Cora turned over » desk o£ old love-letters, and published her " Memoirs." The book, just at first, excited some curiosity, but proved, on perusal, to be neither instructive nor diverting. The only persons the work seriously affected wero certain elderly French and English noblemen, and fathers of families, whose youthful indiscretions, in the shape of billets doux, etc , Cora cruelly resurrected. No actual names were given, but obvious synonyms. Patent medicine vendors who aspire to royal recognition and a baronetcy havo clearly only to follow in the footsteps of the late lamented Holloway, and endow a college or hospital. In time we shall, no doubt, rejoice in a "Royal Liver Pad Lunatic Asylum," and a "Royal Bno's Fruit Salt, Orphan Home," not to mention a "Mother Seigel's Children's Hospital," and a " Wizard Oil Museum of Art." I hear the Queen has not recovered from that misguided visit to Egham even yet, and that the Prince of Wales is delighted things went wrong. He disapproved the whole affair. A statement in the "World," to the effect that the engagement between Miss Grant and Lord Cairns was broken off because tha latter could not make satisfactory settlements, is incorrect. The truth is, the lady honestly regretted the engagement, and, with transatlantic candour, told the Prince of Wales co. asking him at tho same time if he thought tho affair could ba arranged without any fuas or eaclandre. This was>, of course, the very beat thing sho could have done. H.R.H.'s chief foiblo is "arranging" social difficulties. Ho will condone almost any offence against lescovenanccs providing the delinquents consult him, and allow him

to lay down tho law as to what is to bo done. In this case, had Miss Grant jiltod Lord Cairns without saying a word to B. R. H., 'tis exceedingly probablo both royalty and aocioty would havo promptly given hor the " cold shouldor." Tho position of tho American beauties, who from time to timo Hit across tho " society>! for a season or so, is oxceodingly precarious, being regulated entirely by the capricious emilos of lloyalty. Tho f/rtiMti dames of tho great world cannot refuse to receive Americas nobodies if tho Prince and Princess of AValos chooeo to do 30. They novor, howevor, tolerate them a inomont more than ia neccssary,and latterly havo complainod to the Queen of the Princess, of Walos's too oasy good-nature. The "Daily News" account of tho decoaßed demt-monlaineranßiime:— Twenty yeara ago tho equipage of Cora Pearl was one of tho sights of Hydo Park. The loungers by tho rails throw a doublo intensity into their staro whon her carriage passed with its perfoct horses and irreproachablo liveries. Great ladies woro accused of dressing " after " tho colobrity. When she went to Paris and shortly after made her ihhul at tho Boiifl'es, the thoatro was iilled to overflowing with tho ladies <if tho demi-monde and " personages " titled and uutitled. _ Never did a_ premiere oxcito so much curiosity. Certain of the boxes sold at live hundred franca each, and orchestra stalls fotched ono hundrod and tifty francs. Beforo then Cora Pearl was well known to Parisians as an Amazon, a female Centaur. She wished to present herself in a new aspect to tho public, Hor stables woro tho talk of Paris. Xhe wealthiest and most refined woro not abovo taking a hint from her on tho -subject of tho stables. Paris had not then begun to emulate London in this re=pect, Cora was ono of the first to sot the English fashion in matters relating to horses and carriagos. Hor English grooms " gui no rhicnt pas" were a puzzle to thoir tnors livoly and animated French confreres. Tho shapo and colour of her carriagos wovo models "for tho imitation of evon tho great ones of France under tho ompiro. Particulars about tho harness, the upholstery of the vehicle?, and tho unsuully sober liveries, appeared in tho papers. Sho always had at least a doxon horeea in hor stables, and fabulous sums wero spent upon thorn. She rode magnificently, raid hor thoroughbreds answered so readily to the slightest touch from hor Lnnd ns to gain hor the title of la ceulauressc. Her apartments in tho Champs Elyeees woro magnificently and richly furnished. Tha dining-room somewhat sombro with its henvy decorations, had cubinetsin evsry nook filled with treasures of art; silver sorviees, pieces of sculpture, goma of the goldsmiths' skill, filvcr-gilt dinner sorvicos, and bowls of engraved gold. Tho small adjacent drawing-room was crowded with articles of " bigotry and virtue,' and scattered all ovor tho room woro hands moulded in marble, in plaator, in bronze, in silvor ; everyone of thorn modelled upon or cast frail tho remarkably well shaped hand of Cora herself. M-irblo statues, valuables china vasos worth a king's ransom, be.inti ful clocks, costly fans, histcric cabinet' wero huddled-togcthcr in tho room without tho smallest pro^onsion to airrangoment. The taato of tho celebrity did not run in the direction of tho drawing-room, but of the stables. This is the woman who ha 3 jutt died in tho most squalid poverty in a small room in tho Rue do Rassano. Sho was English by birth, being the daughter of Crouch, tho composer of tho world-known " Kathleen Mavourneen," and of tho equally beautiful though almost unknown " Dcrmot Ashore."' When Madame Christine Nileson was in America somo ycaro ago, on one occasion she sang "Kathleen Mavourneen ''as an encore. After tho performance a wretchedlooking poverty-strickon man threw himself at her feet and.thanked her with tears foreinging so exquisitely hia song, tho child of his brain. This was Crouch,reduced to such straits that ho waa almost unablo to command the price of a meal. Something woa done for him in the way of getting up a subscription, and an American reporter, gotting hold of the old man, elicited from him a story of almost lifo-long reverses, which went the rounds of the English press at the time. Among other things he stated that he was thefathorof Cora Pearl. Curing the last f owy ears her poverty was as groat as hi?. Sho was often aeen in the Champa Elyseee, gazing at the house where ehs once had lived, her dress faded and worn, but tho red dyod hair aa conspicuously brilliant as of old ; tho rouged choeka and artificially whitened brow giving her at a little distanco a factitious air of youthfulness. The disdainful look had desortcd her lace, aud wrinkles were seen, at a near ap proach, under the rouge. An air of fretful misery had replaced them. Tho ravagos of a terrible disorder wero reflected in hor face- Her lifo was an antithesis, ot which hor death ecrved to dot tho i's and cross tho t'e.