LONDON GOSSIP.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 288, 3 December 1892, Page 3 (Supplement)

LONDON GOSSIP.

(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)

London, October 7.

Sale of the 'Pall Mall Gazette.'

A great Bensation has been caused in journalistic circles by the sale of the «Pall Mall Gazette' which changed hands before anyone either on the staff or outside had faintest notion thab the paper waa ia the market. Mr Yatea Thompson, the late proprietor, belongs to a Lancashire county family, tbe Thompsons of Thingwall, and ia son-in-law to Mr George Smith, of Smith Elder and Co. Years ago Mr Thompson lost money largely over the ' Pall Mall Gazette,' and might well have wished to geb rid of ib. Latterly, however, not merely the * Gazette,' but the ' Budget' and bhe numerous ' exbraa' have paid handsomely ; in facb, ib would be difficult ab bhe presenb moment to name a more flourishing evening newspaper property. The specially odd feature of the affair ia bhe character of the new proprietors, a syndicate said to consist of Mr Dave Keighley, a theatrical speculator, Mr Horace Sedger, of the Lyric Theatre, aud Mr Lowenfeld, the patentee and brewer of the famous temperance beverage Kop's ale. What gentry of this description want with a paper like tbe 'Pall Mall Gazette' no one can conceive any more than thoy can imagine why Mr Thompson sold ib out of literary circles. The probability, of course, is that in a few weeks a company with a bhumping capital will be started to run the property. But whatever bhe new propriebors do they can only do ic-ith the consent of Mr E. T. Cook and Mr Charles Morley. Everybody knows thab nobbing is eaaier than to wreck a property oi thia sort. Remove Cook, Morley, and Garrett, and in all probability in 24 months bhe ' Pall Mall Gazette' would bo ruined. I do not, however, suppose if Lowenfeld has much say in the management, thab any changes will be made. Of course, if Unionists are at the back of the syndicate bhere will be a general break up. In thab case Messrs Cook, Morley and Co. would probably start an opposition print, which would be the ' Pall Mall Gazette' in all bub name.

Since writing the foregoing it has been announced thab Mr Cook will wibhdruw from the editor's chair in Nor.hun-berland-ebreeb. Probably he and Mr Stead will join forces in a new daily.

The Oriental Congress—A Sanscrit

Gloka.

The proceedings of bhe Oriental Congresa which have filled such a large portion of the London papers during the presenb week will, I fear, scarcely be of material interest to Antipodean readers. The • Times,' in default of other topics, ' enthuses' on bho newly diacovered Papyrus of the Septuaginb and even devobed a whole half page on Wednesday, to an illustration of that venerable document. The effect was nob particularly happy, resembling, indeed, nothing bo much as two huge smudges. Still they filled a lot of space and that, in the ' silly season,' is the greab thing.

The sbudy of oriental languages is nob apparently inconsistent with the poetic instincb for, I observe, that Professor Cowell, in addressing bhe Aryan aection of bhe Congress on Tuesday, greeted hia brethren wibh what he called a sanscrib gloka:—

Calm in calm woods the ancient rishis sate, Soothing their souls with friendship's converse high, "While we my honoured friends by evil fate Meet where the city's ceaseless din roars by. Yet contrast brings new harmonies to light, And stirs tho soul to sympathies profound, The lightning never shines so keenly bright, As when the darkness gathers deepest round. Nob bad for a gloka—whatever a gloka may be—is ib ? The re3b of tho Professor's papor which dealt wibh tho identification of the Malaya era with Samvab I leave to your imagination. A Nineteenth Century Pilgrimage. A strange scene was witnessed by the few people who happened bo ba in tho city on a recenb Sunday evening, when Archbishop Vaughan blessed on Tower Hill a parby of pilgrims aboub bo set forth for bho sacred shrine ab Lourdos. Tho rendezvous waa the Cabholic Church of the English Martyrs, in Great Prescott-street, where the proceedings opened with a confirmation service. At five o'clock tho pilgrima—a curious mixture of aged aud young aud of sound and stricken—began to arrive. Soon afber bhe ' Cardinal's guard' rose, and the school children with twenty banners marched down the aisle and inbo the street where some 5,000 persons—men, women, and children—mustered in solemn procession. A crucifix and acolytea swinging incense wenb firs., followed by the girla of the school, bhe women ranaomers, and pilgrima, a band of bhe League of bhe Crose boys and young men, and male pilgrims, and finally another band. The procession passed down Great Prescobb-streeb, bhe band, playing 'The Faith of Our Fathers,' and so around the scene of many martyrdoms (both Probeabanb and Cabholic) bo Harb-sbreeb and back bo bho Church. Then bhe Cardinal Archbishop, gorgeously robed and mitred, addressed the pilgrims, who may have reflected thab in pilgrimages as in other bhinga we have considerably improved on bhe mebhod of our ancestors. His Eminonca Baid : In old bimes there were shrines of the Blesaed Virgin ab W aleingham, ab Willesden (now alas only famous for ita junction), and even in London itself. However, within bhe memory of living men bhe Queen of Heaven bad appeared ab Lourdes and still continued bo shower unspeakable graces and benefits upon her devoub clienbs. MighbGod'a blessing resb upon bheir pilgrimage. The pilgrims left London Bridge at nine o'clock bhe aamo evening ' specially conducted ' by Thomaa Cook and Sons, and ' direcbed' by Fabhers O'Reilly and Fletcher. None bub pilgrima and bhoir attendants were permitted to travel by this 'pilgrim express,' or by the pilgrim 3teamera in connection therewith. One wonders, rather, whether as the brain rushed along bhrough the balmy summer Sunday nighb many of bhe passengera thought of the scantily robed and shod pilgrim of the Middle Ages setting forth on his lengthy, toilsome, and dangerous journey bo Lourdes, without either guide or ' spiritual director,' and with only his trusty staff' and a few hardly-earned coins in his pouch to get him there. If Our Lady of Lourdes worked more miracles in those days bhan she does on behalf ot bhe picnic pilgrims (equally in earnest though they be), of today, is it very wonderful, think you?

The Lourdes Miracles,

Nobbub what cures etc.,of a sufficiently remarkable character ate fairly common ab Lourdes, morbal diseases cannob be mended, bhere, bub in cases where hysteria is ab bhe botbom of bhe brouble Our Lady of Lourdes has worked and can work literal miracles. The sceptic Zola bhe obher day saw a young girl who wa3 broughb bo bhe church doubled up in a babh chair, and carried in bo the shrine by two attendants, suddenly bound joyfully to her feeb, erect and supple, crying, 'I am cured ■ bhank God and our Lady, I am cured.' And bo she was. Zoia could only say, .'Wonderful, wonderful.' Ho had come bo scoff, bub remained to pray. Nevertheless, ho afterwards inquired carefully into this miracle. The lady, it seemed, had been ill three years. Her doctors were positive sbe could geb up if 6he would. They tried electric shocks and what not; all no use. Aa a last resource, the mother, an Alsatian farmer's wife, broughb her daughter to Lourdes.

Lions and Lavender Water

The latest silly season seneation ia the lion thab love. lavender water' This in-

teresting beast wa3 discovered in a country menagerie by a ' constant reader 'of one of the daily papers. Ib seems that nexb to a shin of beel, Leo liked nothing co much as a bit of brown paper soaked in lavender water. On receiving the boon (tendered upon the end of a stick) ' the lion rubbed the paper upon paws, cheek and back, and indulged in other antics expressive extreme delight;' Upon reading this ' A Lover of Animals ' wrote to ask whether Eau de Cologne gave the lion equal satisfaction. ' No' was the ' constant reader's' reply, Mr Leo did nob care for any scent but lavender water, and lavender water of a a very special brand, in fact, well, his own. ' Constant Reader ' wenb on to explain he was a chemist, and made up a particularly strong lavender water. In order thab ' readera of your valuable papor mighb learn the sorb of scent a. properly constructed and well conducted lion liked hs would be happy to forward a bottle to any address for the purely nominal sum of three shillings.' The editor's comment on bhis epistle was brief. ' Spoofed !' ho remarked sorrowfully, ' undoubtedly spoofed ! If ib had been a lion which used Pear's Soap or Reckibb's Blue, or even a king of beasts which had derived tho greatest advantage from Carter's Little Liver Pills, I could have stood ib, bub Timkins'a l_avend-r Water ! ! • So he wrote,' This correspondence musb now close.'

John Bright.

Ono of the mosb promising of the younger Liberal members of the new Parliament, is Mr Charles Maclaren, who has sab for Crewe for soma years now, and identified himself promiuontly with bhe * Womens'* Rights' movement. The latter eccentricity Burprises no one who meets Mrs Maclaren, a charming and cultured lady, and a keen politician. She is ono of the few living women who can speak from a public platform without seeming either ui.feniinine or ridiculous, and she dresses as charmingly a3 she talks. Mr Maclaren is a nephew of the late John Bright, and towards bhe end of the sturdy old Quaker's life, saw much of him. Being a Scotchman himself, he naturally, delighted to chronicle his illustrious kinsman's love for thab nation. Bright liked mosb bhings Scotch, save Scotch theology. 'It is,'he said grimly, 'too full of the gridiron.' His own religion was founded on the sermon on the mount. Creeds and bigotries were obnoxious to him. Ab an Edinburgh dinner once an ignorant and narrowminded Calvinis. minister with Tory views held forth till he bored everyone to extinction. 'It's odd,' remarked Bright ab lasb, ' that a man who knows bo little about this world can tell us so much about the next.' Bright waß very easily ' drawn ' on polibical topics and very brusque wibh opponents, bub though likened in manner to the late Professor Thorald Rogers, he never when arguing insulted his opponent. Mr Bright had a great admirabion for bho Queen, whom he characterised as 'the most absolutely truthful and straightforward person he had over met.' When people talked to him of his biography, he would say : ' There is nothing in my life. My speeches are my life.' In a copy of these speeches which he gave Mr Maclaren he wrote, 'My polibical sermons.' ' Gladstone,' ho once said, ' goes coasting along, turning up every creek and exploring ib to its source before he can proceed on his way, but I have no talent for detail. I hold my course from headland to headland, through greab seas.' Mr McLaren saya Mr Bright answered every letter himself. His replica were often penned on half sheets torn from the notes of his too numerous correspondents. All Quakers, I fancy, adopt this peculiar habit.

The above and many more interesting reminiscences ot the People's Tribuno are to bo found in bho September North American ' Review,' a periodical bub few copies of which cross bho Atlantic. It is aimosb a pity Air Maclaren cannot add to the recollections and republish them in book form.