PERSONS ANECDOTES

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 293, 10 December 1910, Page 16

PERSONS ANECDOTES

LORD CHIEF- JUSTICE'S YOICtB. Lord Alvefrstohe for aoine yftara' after he .became Lord Ohiefjustipe used .to sing in the choir at St. Mjary;.Abbot's, Kensington. Sir, 'Edward ' Clarke, .can also sing a song,'arid the story is revived that, at a festive gathering at

which 'both' Tvere present,'a friend of eaich received succeseiye confidences. Sir Edward Clarke said, "Ah, Webster, rare good if .only' he did not think lie could si'rig." Anil Sir Richard. Webster confided. "I have always had the highest regard for my. friend Olarke, but that Voice of his—really, someone ought to tell him." CALL ME HERBERT. During a portion of the South African ■war Lord Kitchener had as an orderly a-young scion of a noble house who had j joined the Imperial Yeomanry as a trooper. He could not understand that he was not on-terms of perfect equality with the members of the staff, and having been summoned one morning to carry some despatches to the Commander-in-Cliief, •he room W.ith a jaunty air. j "Did you want ntßjKiteheher?" ho asked ■ calmly, while the rest of the staff gasped for fear of what would happen next. Kitchener, however, merely looked at him -with his chill inscrutable smile. "Oh, don't call mc Kitchener," he remarked icily, "it's so beastly formal. Call mc Herbert!" \2 . - ■ • . WHEN FRINGE ALBERT LAUGHED. Clara Noveilo tells in her reminiscences (just published by her daughter) an amusing anecdote in connection -with the late Queen Victoria. She says:— In Berlin I had a droll sample of German linguistic talent and self-assurance j an elderly literary man, having heard me' sing "God save" the Queen," as I often did, called on mc to offer his own Jiew, and—as he considered—more appropriate words to' that hymn, only one line of which, alas! can I remember: "O, beauteous name which doth combine both. .Vigand Tory (Victorial) ..." I had the fun pi repeating "this, years after, to Prince Albert,' when, during the intervals of a State concert, he came to compliment the artists, and it so upset his Court gravity that his uncontrollable laughter attracted ' notice, ! and ' a messenger came to call him to tea—and to order! I fancy. ' ' . . "CHEEK DP, .TBBiB!MT AitT 1 " . In the course of a speech at the Battereea Polytechnic Mr. John Burns related the following story: I -was once, he said; for the benefit of my health, interned in a building somewhat monastic in Character, nvith a celibate population, and ■ ■with ' cellular accommodation "which ■ enabled mc- -t6 be alone. There was there one book called the Bible, and 1 noticed that ihy-pre-deeessor -was. a great of it. With a pin ■which 'had probably been concealed in Ms oakum he"Jhttd pricked comments.in ; -the .margin. .Opposite this passage in JefehilahV Lamentations, "Mine. heart_ within .'file is broken, so tfiat my bones shake: it v am' like a drunken man, and like a man iwhom ■■wine 'had" overcome," he had prickefl, "Cheer up, Jeremiah!* That is the type of mind we want-—a. man -uninfluenced 'by environment and 'aibsofbed in study; ilf outside w shown the serenity and ■philosophy which that gentleman shoWed under such peculiar and distressing circumstances', 11 have no fear about the future of my country. .- ;, king of siAars pidwcWAiithrJ . PeAaipe one of the jnostnotaibie. things aibout the. late„' King of Siam woe . Jiis t>undtuailjtjr et Si»6e , (functions., The [portents ]of .the . horoscope guide, the Bangkok astrologers in,fixing precisely a "happy hour*' for.this event,of that, and" woe betide the nation -w<ere he a moment -wrong either way—ja-te, or soon —for any fixture on his diary. A few years ago the King had occasion to sail in his email .yacht, to an important festival up river, and the officer in charge of the ceremofties suddenly discovered th-at, unless a spurt were made, the King would not reach the festival place at the precise time directed 'by- the stars. The xiver wae narrorw,! and many were the tiny craft thereon. The heavy ibaekwash and swell caused /by the rapid paabage of a -fairly large eteam Vessel meant eerioug. danger. But the stars could not ibe iloiited, and so the engineers £ot their orders, "full speed ahead." The result was that many small iboate unprepared for the , steamer's toad rush were overturned, with some considerable : risk of life. But, the King kept his appointment to the, second, and therefore all -was well! , .' v , STORIES OF MR. OHOATE, - Mr.Ohoate, the ominent American lawyer, ivas one of the most succeM.ful aui-bassad-ore who ever Tepfeaentbd, the United States in London, He js a New and wne born 6S years ago a-fc Saletrij Mass. fie .-was at Harvard, and \vas called to the American bar' iii 1855, It makes the 3?ngli3h green jvifch eiivy to redd, that Mr. Giiptite's preaieat forensic triumph w&s thfe demonstratibii Before the Athei-ican Sapfeffie Co.iirt that income tai was ivbsblutelyJiinSdnstitiitional. Be ihad never been ; ari ardent politiciafi, blit he took a leadiflg pdrt Ift the sttiashitig of the tweed gang tA gfat tefs ih New York in 1871. Ofl one octJiision Mr. Choate was eXAmifling the chief mate of a ship. After huriilig questionß with the -speed of a rapid-fire- gun for over An hour, the brilliant lawyer asked: " sto\v. tell fii6 iii what latitude and lohgU did you cfosa the equator?" ''Are you Jokihg?" said the Sailor; "No,.sirj 1 ant ifi earnest, and I desifo an answer." "That's mote than I can give." " Indeed. You are a dhief 'mate, ahd Unable to answer so simple & question!" "Yes, the simplest question I Was ever asked. I thought even a fool of a lawyftf knew there's no latitude at the equatrtr." For' oiiee Mfi Ohoafce found a iiltttt Who coilid equeich him. It is told that once Mf. Ghoftto was Very iiiuoh interested in a young man -who, he thought, had in hifti the making of fln excellent lawyer. Mr. i Choatfe Was himself practising in New York at the time, and hoped t6 take the young man into hie office. But the perverse young fellow wopld have none of it. He believed he had a future as an artist, I though, indeed, he toad but mediocre tai- j ent for painting. He invited Mr. Choate to an exhibition of hia work, and Whim [ the distinguished barrister made a. last appeal to him, the artist eaid: "No, Mr.' Choate, thailk you, no law for mc. I ] iam wedded to my art." "Humph!" exclaimed Mr. looking round at the sad canvases, "don't let that discourage you, you have ample grounds for divorce." j