GOSSIP FROM ABROAD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 91, 10 January 1908, Page 3

GOSSIP FROM ABROAD.

" The Duchess of Sutherland is a daughter of the fourth Earl of Ro'sslyn, and her marriage; took- place 'in 1884. She was only 17. at the time, and later on she wont with hor h'usbin'd for a tour round the world. Sho is very' versatile, and has earned some fame as an 1 author a jioeteSs. Her book, "How IvSpent\My Twentieth Year," was deservedly successful,'and 'she has also written'a novel an<l . a'number of clever verses. It is as a temp'oranOe reformer and social worker, how;.ever, sho-is best known, and . besides teking/.V'yery active part in scliomes for. helping the. poor, she has contributed a number of■ articles to the reviews and magazines. One of 'her, articles on- the .subject of story books':fd? fgirls'"tfl'tist have -struct a 'sympathetic .chordMn'many a.girlish heart, for sho complained that' girls' books are generally dull-and uninteresting compared; with the thrillirig stories' written for -boys. She wished, she said, that some writer would come to light, capable of writing equally oxciting stories for. school-girls.'

Miss Alma-Tadema, who has'recently arrived in. America, '.where she intends 'to lecturo. on liappiness; is (says"M.A.P.") the daughter of: the famous artist, and she has inherited a great'deal of her remarkable father's, brilliancy of nature. Sir Lawrence, whose; daughter, :by the way, shares his Christian that hers is spelt Laurence—has always believed that every human-being shouM'live'his own life and devolop lori the -lines '<beßt ■ suited -tohis gifts. His: daughter ( Laurenoe soon showed that 'in her' the artistic quality would be literary, •nil she. published 'her first story when she was still m hpr.'item's. j'Then'-she joined the small Icircle;.of iwomen playwrights, and some of 'her' dtamas'hayo beenr produced in Germany with signal 'success,- while amoiig her intimate friends'are'Elconora Duse and Maeterlirik. Miss Alma-Tadema,' is strikingly individual :in appearahce. She- dresses •in quaint and 1 'graceful -designed by-herself, biit; Bno 'is credited -with'the belief that in ah 'ideal "State;,woolen, would;all wear. a .kind of .uniform awl not have'to give much thought to'' their clothes.

Of -late years 'Miss 'Alma-Tadema has laid aside the palette wholly in favour .of the pen, with the'- result that' her signature is' to bo found appended, to a wonderfully versatile coirection of essays,'poems, plays, novels, and , shortv stories; ' For many years -Miss AlmaTademVhas devoted herself to the highor intellectual drama. The' influence of Maetcr linck is apparent in lior own work, especially in "The Silent Voice," which was first produced at'tho Coronet Theatre, Notting Hill, in aid of 'tho -Princess Louise 'Fund for ■Wounded Soldiers'; and-, in which tlici brilliant young authoress'apppcared and showed still another ; sido to, her rare/versatility. 'Add to this inventory: of her accomplishments that she -is aivCry good .'linguist, and one has no difficulty ; 'in • recognising in her -a , feminine ''Admirable Crichton. t The toxt from which, sho wilMecture in America is "Happiness, Consists in .Managing Oneself." 'On this theme-she, will give a number of. evangelical '.lectures '~ which. qhe 'hopes w.ill bo productive ! of great:' results. lii 'England sho has a little, place in'the country wlioro she retires,"far from tho madding crowd," when she'is desirous of cultivating tho Muse, and here she gets through a prodigious amount of work. :,Like ; herifather, she talks, well, and has also,'the' invaluable gift of making many friends.