GOSSIP AND NEWS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9704, 17 April 1897, Page 8

GOSSIP AND NEWS.

Olive S-HR-Tnkr (says a correspondent ot the Argus), is back in London, hovering oa Cecil Rhodes's track, and determined to scorch him with the hot breath of her ethical indignation. Olive's husband is still alive. When asked by her friends why' she married, she explains that " Kronwright laces up one's boots with so much brotd, human sympathy."

Cycling to church on a bicycle made for two actually took place recently in Leicester square. The bride and bridegroom and about fifty guests started for church on bicycles, the two most interested parties in th. ceremony riding side by side on* a sociable machine. On leaving the churcJj a procession was formed, with the newlymarried pair leading, their cycle being verj ornately decorated with bouquets.

The most expensive book ever published jiv the world is said to be the official history oi the War of tlie Rebellion, which is now being issued by the Government of the Unitßtl States at a cost up to date of about £477,000. Of this amount £236,858 has been paid for printing and binding. It will require at least three years longer to complete the work, and the total cost is ex« pected to reach nearly £600,000. It will consist of 112 volumes, including an index, and an atlas which.'contains 178 plates and maps illustrating the important battles of the war, campaigns, routes of niarchj plans of forts, and photographs of interesting sjcenes, places and persons. . Only 51,000 copies of the book have yec been sold.

The English papers contain daily notices ot fresh proposals for celebrating •' the longest reign." The Royal Colonial Institute is determined to rise to the occasion or perisli. An endless vista of dining tables, bald heads, ribbons, orders, champagne, and applause opens up. If the colonial and Indian guests (says the London correspondent of the Argus) will only bring a fine summer with them London tradesmen will ail make their fortunes. The brightest; colours that nature or chemistry provides are to be fashionable for female clothing this season ; purple, scarlet, orange, vivid blues aud green., nothing more, " subdued" than those is to be worn. Probably the different contingents from colonial corps, including men of every colour and nearly every religion in the world, will make up the most popular spectacle ever seen in this country. It is rather a depressing thought that the chief memorial of the •• longest reign" is the Prince's Hospital Fund, which one cannot participate in unless one gets ran over by a cab, or catches some infectious complaint. A curious opposition to the Hospital Fund is being got up by the antivivisection fanatics, who are praying peoplfl not to subscribe to any hospital whete W medical men approve of vivisection.

The Diarist in the Cornhill recently nae* the expression, "asking with difliouHy. In the current number he tells how a corespondent has remonstrated with hira for misusing this Scotch phrase, and kindly gives the following delicious explanation ;— "When an Englishman meets a difficulty, , he too often bows his head and weeps before . it; but the Scotchman jokes with it, Hie. thereby often disarms it 3 "

Mr Lang tells in Longman's the strong* story of a misprint. He wrote— " The want of historical perspective which makes the moment hide the great abysm of time. The printer's reader queried " abysm, a**| a Mr Lang put " Shakspere" in the margin as his authority for the phrase. Then the passage appeared in print thus —"inakeß the moment hide the great Shakspere ol time "—to the confusion of Mr Lang and the baffling of the commentators.

Mr Willis, Q.C., has been appointed toths Norfolk Circuit. The memory of him (says the Pall Mall Gazette) Btill lingers in the House. In one of the Bradlaugh debates he was speaking with his accustomed energy « tongue and gesture from the bench behipa Ministers when, with a wild sweep of h« arm he sent Mr (now Sir Henry) Campbell* Bannerman's hat flying down the floor ot tt» House, The hat was recovered amid mwn laughter, but a few minutes later Mr .Willis, carried away by the rush of his eloquence, again unhatted the Minister, who thereafter shitted his seat out of range. A good story is told, too, of Mr WUlis's electioneering experiences. He Was storming away■aboo*" something or other it the top of his Stnaeß* voice, and happened to us© the qnot»&«» from «David C_pperJield," "Mof * willin*." " No," came a voice from the -_e_> "Willis is barkm'."

The little Japanese spaniel which th». Princess of Wales is represented as boldiag in her arms in the well-known po" 1 -? 1 "' painted by Mr Luke Fildes for the GrapM is dead. The manner of his death was \wy sudden, " Facey" being apparently M , perfect health when put to bed at nigtW; ,_ In the morning it was found that he WW died quietly and painlessly. A post mortem examination revealed the fact tj***-***?? pneumonia was the cause. Lady Rotns* child had given "Facey" to Another pet dog of her Royal H , S*? n f**{ " Bully," the old silver fawn pug, which wn reached the good age of nineteen years, b«a just died. The Prince gave him to tne Princess on his departure for UN**.*** until a short time ago "Bully " went where* ever his Royal mistress did. This >*W* animal.was a great favourite withmanyw . the crowned heads of Europe, eero*}, singularly free from jealousy, and of a vei/ sweet and friendly disposition.

Ricciom Garibalpi, son of the who offers to go to the assistance of ur<*eo*f •■ : ■ with 100,000 Italians, was formerly a l««_»f p Inspector iv Victoria Education De-f»rfcmw»» ~ - ; . ' "''iiM * <-h&

whic'i was the best the authorities of the __iv were able to *-*° ** or n " m * ■ As P" val:e -dietary to James Service ho proved a Joan-FS io * hole.

*t a iliftß***" *** ts,e JJotel V* o * l recently i?,lm ; *''vl f-edfovd told a good story about the ■nid*-o<[York when he was an officer in the •Royal Navy- The ship was at Salonica or « n ,vn>*A—the Admiral did not know which— ***,*- a Turkish Pacha went on board to * v hia respects to the Duke. They were baling at tho time, and the Admiral said he •houlfi never forget the look of astouishlenton the face of the Pacha when the lluke was li-intod out to him engaged in a rfntv which had made him as black as Kausen wss on hia Polar expedition.

U this connection an incident of the prei„t Duke of Coburg's voyage, when a lad, to South Africa is re .ailed. Some of tho ativc chiefs were invited to visit the Fury a - us * w '*'-' re at Gunriee ia °y found Prince Alfred swabbing down the deck barefooted. They watched with amazement, w h3 then retiring they dictated the following address to chc Captain : —"Up to this time we had not ceased to be amazed at the uo-fierful things we have witnessed, and which are beyond our comprehension. j} u t one thing we understand, the reason of England's greatness, when the son of he** g'" eat Q aee n becomes subject to a subject that ho may learn wisdom; when ♦be "<> n3 °f England's chief, aud nobles leave the homes and wealth of their fathers, gndwitb their young Prince endure hardships and flu/feriiJgs in order that they may be wise and become a defence to their country. When we behold these things we see why the English are a great and mighty nation. What we have now learnt shall be transmitted to our wondering countrymen, snd handed down to our children, who will he wiser than their fathers, and your mighty Queeu shall be their Sovereign and ours in jtl time coming."