PERSONAL ANECDOTES

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 24, 28 January 1911, Page 16

PERSONAL ANECDOTES

33HE,UNEXPECTED IANSWEIL ; There died in December Mr. Frederick William IWaltoetii the distinguished scholar, who. was High Master of St. Paul's School from 1876 to 1005. The story; -has foeen : told often enough of others, tout it was Mr. Walker who: said, in answer to a mother's anxious in-: quiry ac to the social position of the school; that "aa long as her eon's fees ■were .paid, and the boy .behaved himself} no questions "would be asked." HOW TO PACK A SPONGE. In the coarse of a review in "Travel ] and Exploration," the writer quotes a story of Mr. Gladstone, on the authority of Mr. E. F. Benson. iAt" a country house one morning the guests were discussing at ibreakfeat the right way to pack a sponge-bag when this sponge has been used and is consequently waterlogged. Mr. Gladstone, who had apparently been solely absorbed by his morniiKf's suddenly closed the discussion by informing the party that they -were all -wrong. "The only proper method is to wrap it up in your bath towel and stamp upon it. Then put it in your sponge-bag; You will find it perfectly dry." MEREDITH WiAS DULE. (There is an anecdote told about George Meredith, -which hints at the possibility of the great novelist'e fountain of talk being sealed at times. A lady, who had some ifriends in Surrey, "wtoo were on terms of some intimacy with the novelist, was greatly charmed on one occasion when vieiting there to find that Meredith was to'be one of the guests at dinner. She prepared herself for a rich ingathering of his celebrated flowers of witty talk. '. [ , But he -was singularly silent throughout the visit, and the only MeTedithian •phrase the lady could carry away'with her was his remark, when reaching across bis neCghbour for the salt:—> "Excuse tie picnic stretch." IA GRUESOME DIVERSION. •Horace Walpple lived in the days when people were executed in public, and there was nothing he seems to have enjoyed much more than going te see someone or several people—several for preference —hanged. He relates how one man, who was going to be hanged in. public one brilliant summer afternoon, remarked to the executioner what a lucky fellow he wae... "I always .had luck," he aaid. "The fellow 'who was hanged yesterday must have got wet'through."' It is a pity they hanged that .man. He must have been a comfort '■ to many. He was not easily depressed. ' He saw the ■bright eide of things even to the bitter end. '■ ' '

CASTE.

(Mr.-.F. Hastings points out an , the "Sunday at Home" that the estimate of tojdaj , ' is generally very 'different from'"wKas! it was years ago. Chief Constable A.-F. Williamson is said to have had an experience which he told with gusto, pme day he was in Bromp-; ton Cemetery. attending the funeral of, one of the old officers. ; Having seen his subordinate placed in ihe "long home,' he afterwards walked among 1 the graves and Eaw a man digging. Well advanced in years was, the -man, but tall and -well set up, Williamson fancied he. recognised the man. "Halloa, flon't" I know: you? Weren't you in the • police force once?" "No." "Not in the force?" "No. Thank God, I have riever yet sunk so low as that!" ' ' '' -' v

BENCH AND BAR.

The mit and oratory of the Bencli and Bar would fill —in fact, already ddes fill —volumes, and very choice much of it. Often the Bench scores, .but perhaps not leas frequently does the Bar. ' Only recently, in the Bloomsbury County Court, Judge Bacon remarked—"l never feign , judicial ignorance. I-never pretend' to be more, simple than I am." "That is so, ,your Honour," was the counsel's reply. A similar reply was made to Mr. Justice Cave with, equally laughable results. Irritated by an, irrepressible junior, the Judge cried out: "Mr. So-and-So, t can. 'teach, you law, but I cannot teach you manners'.," "That is co, any lord," was the soft answer ivh-ich did not turn away wrath.

KUBELIK AT LAOBGE.

Jan Kuibelikj the violinist, w&s recently asked to play for the inmates of a lunatic asylum 'because the resident medico thought, with Congreve, "that music had chairins to "soften rocks." The violinist mounted the improvised ■platform and played a lively Slav dance. The patients seated about the platform seemed deeply interested,, and beat time with feet and -hands. When Kubelik finished a pretty young woman rose and beckoned to him. The musGcian imagined that she wanted an.encore, and aeked the doctor to inquire what she would like, 'but before the doctor could approach her, she cried at the top of her voice, "Well, to think of the like of mc ibeing here while the likes of him should be at large in the world!" It is not recorded that Kubelik has visited an asylum sSnce.

STORIES OF DICKENS.

Mγ. Alfred Tennyson Dickens (the eldest surviving son of Charles Diekeira) related some interesting reminiscences of the famous novelist at the "Times'Book Club, London, in an address on "My Father's life and Works."

-He said Dickens' name in time to come would etand second to Shakespeare, and hie works, like Shakespeare's, would -be read so long as the English lnnguage was spoken. Shortly after diaries Dickens took up residence at Tavistoek House, Tavistock Square, London, said his son, there appeared on the scene a little crossing-sweeper, only fourteen years of age, who must have been the original of Poor Joe of "Bleak , House," which was written a year later, in 1852. When the boy was sixteen, Dickens procured him a very substantial outfit and sent him to New South Wales, where he prospered. A few years later the boy wrote thanking Dickens and telling him he hoped soon to be able to take a trip home and thank him personally. The life at Gad'e Hill provided the lecturer ■with several anecdotes. ' One related to a "ghost" which haunted a neighbouring piece of waste land. As the maid-servants all threatened to leave, Dickens, armed with a double-.barrelled gun, and his two eons with bludgeons, set out to find the "ghost." They caw a white object and heard a noise. Dickens cried, "Stand fast or I fife." The "ghost" proved-*© -be. an aatamatical old goat. . *- - y-