LONDON GOSSIP.

Evening Star, Issue 9856, 19 November 1895, Page 4

LONDON GOSSIP.

[From Our Special Correspondent.]

London, September 14, A NEW KINGDOM,

The ' Daily Telegraph' published the other day a communication received from a "source amply guaranteeing its serious inspiration and practical purpose " embodying a proposition which has been made for reconciling Italy and the Papacy. The proposal is that a tract of Italian territory and a free Roman seaport shall be made over to the Papacy for ever in consideration of a sum of £200,000,000 to be paid to the Italian Government. The promoters of this remarkable scheme seem to think the immense sum in question would be speedily raised by the friends of the Papacy throughout the world if its provisions could secure the permanence of (the Pope's rule in Rome. It got a without saying that the money would present a great temptation to King Humbert's Ministers, but the project is altogether too " noble " to be carried into effect. A CRISIS ON THE CONTINENT. Grave news cornea from Central Europe, news in which the stiffneckednesa of the Sultan and the piffling prevarications of the Porte have no part. A constitutional crisis has Liechtenstein. Now, of the Principalities and Powers of Europe Liechtenstein is, bar Monaco, the smallest, and hitherto ha 3 been most modest in its demands upon public attention. The Staie lies hidden in the core of Europe, jammed in between Austria and Switzerland. It has a constitutional monarchy, a prince of its own, a Parliament of fifteen members, and a population of 9,434 souls, whereof males exceed females by just five score, and therefore the "New Woman" is entirely unknown. The constitution of the State is somewhat complicated. Of tho fifteen M,P.s, three are appointed by the prince and twelve by the electors, and there are also five odd members who take the place of the others when the latter are absent "on. private business or by the will of God.'" The Oberdeurwallungsbebtirdi, a body authorised by the Government for the purpose of managing the Government taxes, is located in Venice, and so is the Laudeakassenverwaltuny, a body appointed by the Government to manage the affairs of local districts. Probably there was not space enough for them in Liechtenstein. These facts are clear, but the cause of the crisis is not. The Prince has prorogued the Diet, and the Diet has passed a vote of censure on the Prince, and ructicm are promised anon. It is feared that civil war may ensue, but an appeal to arms would b3 very disastrous —to the neighboring countries. For there is at Faduz, the capital, a powerful Krupp canon, and whichever way this piece of ordnance happens to be fired the missile will be hurled beyond the frontier, unless it hits something sufficiently solid beforehand. And this is not likely to happen except by accident, for the only practice with the piece hithertj has been skywards, for the reason mentioned. LITERARY NOTES. The lady who writes a3 "Victoria Crosse" and has recently produced a choice blend of outrageous vulgarity and sex-mania called 'The Woman Who Didn't' is by way of being a disciple of "George Egerton." By this time the reviewers must have made her aware that she possesses most of that fair original's faults without her redeeming force and talent. The worst mischief, indeed, which able but revolting books like ' Discords' do is to raise up hosts of feeble imitations. Not many—thank heaven—get into print, but publishers' readers just now tell us they are deluged with manuscripts notable odlv for their nastinees. The author of 'Dodo' comes to melancholy grief in ' The Judgment Books,' which is a feeble attempt to utilise the same idea that Oscar Wilde gave the world in 'Dorian Gray.' Mr Benson has not, nufortunately, Oscar's gifts. The situatioa the latter made mysteriously horrible the Primate's son merely succeeds in rendering grotesque. If Mr Benson is well advised he will return to his lighter and more natural vein in his next effort. At six shillings ' The Judgment Books' must be pronounced monstrously dear.

' Noemi: A Romance of the Cave Dwellers,' by Baring Gould, which ran through a number of newspapers early this year, is just about to be published by Methvens, who have also in type Gilbert Parker's romance, now concluded in the ' Young Man.' Missßraddon'sfifty-seventh novel 'Sons of Fire' was published yesterday in three volumes on the old guinea and a-half terms. She still has an enormous audience, as the large numbers of copies subscribed for by the big libraries evidence. The sale of her novels in the 2s edition also continues wonderfully regular. Of ' Lady Audley,' • Henry Dunbar,' and 'Aurora Floyd' almost exactly the same totals were disposed of in 1893 and 1894.

Mrs Hungerford is another writer who neither falls off much nor improves materially as the years go on. The thin and skimpy plot, the bright and lively style, and the objectionable present tense mode of narration are the distinguishing features of ' The Professor's Experiment' to-day just as the were of 'Mrs Geoffrey' twenty summers back. The plot of the former discloses itself painfully patently, in chapter 1. When the hero has a young woman bequeathed to him under mysterious and embarrassing circumstances, and begins by disliking and distrusting her, "often bringing tears by his brusque replies to her beautiful eyes," we cannot possibly be in doubt as to the denouement. With crass stupidity, the man believes the damsel to be an illegitimate nobody, but the reader possessed of a fair amount of intelligence will " place " her—as the Yankees say—on her entry. Nevertheless, the story is quite readable, and, according to the reviewers, an improvement on some of the author's later work. As I only sample her at intervals, I cannot speak as to that. George R. Sims's 'Dagonet Abroad' relates in our Cockney idol's brightest vein his experiences during a long ramble on the Continent with Albert Edward. Many of the public suppose the last-named functionary to be "a figment of the brain, a, false creation," living solely for and in the 'Referee.' On the oontrary he is an ex-

Count AlblrFEMl VoO#fdt/M new book ia :deo*watgd, by Mr glims. "In the preface, the 1 timet Sravely states : "In no* instance nave/I escribed a oountry without visiting it," , adding: " I trust that this admission will sot dn any way injure my reputation as a traveller or as a journalist'" Colonists coming Home next year'and meaning to take a run on the Continent should spend 3a 6d on ' Dagonet Abroad.' I wonder, by the" way, how many of the Australians and New ZealandersVho_corae Home via Naples and Florence every year refresh .their memories en route With the ' Last Days of Pompeii' or ' Romola.' To read tho latter na- the city of the Medicis and Savonarola adds immensely to the interest of one's visit. * The Honor of Savelli,' too, is a capital book for Florence, and of course you all know * The Improvisatore.' Venice, Milan, Marseilles suggest other suitable books wherewith to lighten the long Continental railway journeys. Next spring I'll make a proper list. Mr Sims is at present busy with two or three plays and a series of short stories on the Ten Commandments for 'Lloyd's Weekly.' " Dagonet's " up-to-date reading of the laws of the decalogue are sure to be full of that robust common sense and good feeling at whioh superior persons' scoff, but which philistines like the writer find extremely refreshing. Mr Edwin Hodder, author of the ' History of. South Australia' and the Lives of John Fife Angus, Bob Roy Macgregor, and Lord Shaftesbury, is about to take in hand a memoir of the late George Smith, of Coalville, whose labors (not always as wise as well-meaning) on behalf of children employed in brickyards, canal-boats, and gipsy vans resulted in important legislation. It was George Smith's unlucky fate to be detested by the classes for whose welfare he strove. I remember Well the fury and indignation of the travelling show-folk when Smith tried to make them educate their children. At a meeting held in the Agricultural Hall, Islington, George Smith sat quietly oh the platform whilst one showman after another spoke, ''giving it him hot" for "interfering with the liberty of the subject." At length a large red-faoed cirous-proprietor, wearing diamond rings, with a pot-belly disguised in a puce plush waistcoat, over which a heavy gold chain meandered, rose. " Eddication," said he solemnly, " eddication is damn rot. Look at me, I never 'ad no eddication. I can't neither write nor read, but I- can count the 'dibs' (money) with a slate and a bit of chalk, and I knows 'ow to keep 'em too. Look at me, I say " "Yes, my friends," interjected George Smith, "I beg of you look at this man. Look at him, listen to him, and then say do you desire your children to be like unto him." The meeting broke up in disorder. Mr Hall Caine's brother, who edits a penny monthly called ' London Home,' says that if the Laureateship. is revived tinder Lord Salisbury Mr Alfred Austin is sure of the first offer.

The * Penny Poets' are proving a highly successful enterprise. Of No. 1 (Macauley's Lays), 200,000 have already been sold, and the regular issue is now 100,000 a week. The selections from Mrs Browning, Lowell, Campbell, and William Morris deserve special note. The latter, being a professed Socialist, could hardly refuse to place his muse at the disposal of the masses, but it will surprise me if Mr Swinburne or the holders of the Browning or Tennyson copyrights allow Mr Stead to "scissor" them into pennyworths. The truth is, Mr S. has a genuine gift for skimming cream, and those who turn to a complete Lowell or Mrs Browning after reading his selections will recognise with surprise how few of the poets' beat bits havß been overlooked. Oh those provincial journals ! Sir Edwin Arnold told us some time ago that the fair maids of Tokio have a natural smell like unto that of a lemon geranium. :Sir Edwin probably says so with authority, but we in England need not go to Japan, for the following, from the Sunderland ' Daily Echo,' seems to indicate that tho local lassies are not behind the Japanese damsels in respect to natural scents. The writer is prosing on the subject of the ball given in honor of the visit of the Channel Squadron, and he lets himself go thus :—"There was a perfect galaxy- of beauty, and the blending was so harmonious and yet often so contrastive" (precious word this) "that a picture was presented to the eye such as is rarely witnessed in the provinces. Floating up from the surging mass of dancers, as they lightly tripped to the dreamy music of a waltz, the odor was almost overpowering." " Beauty " had, perhaps, supped on onions.

Mrs Tollington : "This is a nice time to come home; and what is more, you're drunk !" Tollington : "So wouldsh yoush be if you'd hadah much to drink as I have." " Wilks is a most absurd somnambulist." " What's he done now ?" " He's just back from a yachting holiday, you know, and last night he sat down in the bath tub, and baled it out until he flooded the whole floor."