PERSONAL ANECDOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 299, 16 December 1911, Page 15

PERSONAL ANECDOTES.

A BEAL ARTTPT, Millet, the painter of "The Angelus," 1 had a standby agreement with a firm of ; art dealers who took all his work in exchange for regular payments of £4O a i jonth. When he was told that they could sell a single picture for as much a3 £2,000, he said simply: That is their affair. As long as I have all I need and can paint what I like, and as I like it, I do not mind what they get for my pictures.

| A TRUE WOMAN. The rebuke administered by Sir William SeKe, the judge of the West London County Court, to a solicitor for speaking .of his client—the wife of a colonel—as a woman, is a reminder that John Brown once outraged a duchess in the same way. "Wumman," he said, "the Queen wants yc." The great lady went to Queen Victoria in a state of high indignation, and complained. "Well, duchess," replied the Queen, "you are a woman, aren't you?"

KAFFIR CHIEFS POSEK& Magato, a Kaffir chief, onoc put some I awkward questions to certain European missionaries. "Why do you white men work bo hard ?" he asked. "To earn money." "Way do you want money?" That we may have no need to Work." "That is a roundabout way of getting to the spot that my young men are already upon!" "You say work is a good thing, and that all good white men enjoy work." said Magato on another occasion. "Why is dt that when you send bad men to prison you make them work as a punishment?"

GOETHE OUTDONE. Goethe was so often intruded upon by the curious in his house in Weimar that one day, made impatient by the determination of an unknown Englishman to force an entrance, he suddenly ordered his servant to show him in. The Englishman entered. Goethe planted himself erect in the centre of the room, his arms crossed, his eyes on the ceiling, motionless like a statue. Surprised for the mome.it, the stranger soon comprehended the situation, and, without being in the least disconcerted, he put on his glasses, walked slowly around Goethe, inspected him from head to foot, and went out THE HAWK AND THE TARPON. The late Senator Vert, of Missouri, was very feeble for several years before Mb death, but attended to senatorial duties notwithstanding. He and the present Senator Stone had been political opponents, and Vest knew Stone was waiting for his seat. Vest and the late Senator Quay, of Pennsylvania, were close friends. Once, when Vest was quite ill, Quay took him and Amos Cumnrings, then in the House, down to Quay's fishing place in Florida. Quay and Cinmnings went out fishing for tarpon one morning and took Vest along in the stern of the boat, propped up with pillows, for the ride and air. Quay caught a big tarpon, and, pulling in, threw the fish on the shore. Then they pulled out again and Quay and Cummings devoted themselves to fishing. Presently they heard a little cackling laugh from "Vest. They looked back and Vest pointed to a big fish hawk that had 'been circling round and had made a descent on the tarpon. The tarpon, instead of being dead, was very much alive; and as the hawk descended the big fish gave the bird a wallop with its tail that surprised the marauder very much. "Ha! Ha!" crackled Vest. "That's the way with me and Bill Stone. He' 3 been circling round me for two years, thinking he could get his claws into me; but when he tries it he'll find I've got a punch left in me, like that tarpon over there."

DR. WETS FIRST COCKTAIL. Dr. Wu Ting-fang, formerly Chinese Minister at Washington, was one of the sneakers at a temperance meeting at Shanghai, says the "China Press," and related his experiences of strange drinks. "I remember the first time," he said, "that I dranK a cocktail. On my first voyage to San Francisco I passed the purser's room about luncheon-time, and some friends invited me to have a drink. There was a tray full of glasses with what I learned was cocktail, and it was so delicious that I said, li it will give me a good appetite I would like my wife to try some.' I took an extra glass to my wife in the cabin, and we all liked it. From that time we had it because it gave us an appetite and had a very pleasant taste. "During my Ministry in Washington I used to entertain, and I was very fond of champagne. I remember on one occasion I had a great gathering, and some of my American friends wanted to saturate me. But instead of their saturating me, I saturated them, and it ended by many of them being carried downstairs, so you will see I had been a very good drinker. "Some years ago, however, after my return to China, I was converted to what you may call vegetarianism. I am also a total abstainer, and feel much stronger and healthier."

MR GLOVER AND THE BURGLARS. In Mr J. M. Glover's reminiscences there is ai> excellent story describing how he secured for' himself a telephone I service:— I When I first lived at Hampton Coort the local post office closed at ei«*ht every night, and there waa no telephone service—this an 1899; so, unable to get certain landowner interests to grant the necessary -wayleaves, I was piqued at being cut off from London every night at eight, which necessitated many weary, useless night journeys, all of whichmight easily have been done by wire or 'phone. Having failed, therefore, in every legitimate endeavour to arouse a sentiment of commercial spirit in local Rip Van Winkloism, I thought a little strategy—or, as T thought, "humour"—would prove useful. I therefore published and issued this poster, in black and white, all over the village: IMPORTANT NOTICE. To Burglars, Cracksmen, and Those Interested in the Housebreaking Industry,— An area of five miles in this district i? cut off from all communication with the outer world after eight o'clock every evening. The undersigned wishes to draw attention to the exceptional facilities thus provided for practice in the above art. No Police Station near for three miles. Bv order, JAMES M. GLOVER. His Mark. X. It was the responsive humour of the Fates, no dou'bt, which sent a burglar expedition to Mr Glover's own residence within the following week