PERSONAL AND GENERALNOTES FROM LONDON.

Evening Star, Issue 11662, 24 September 1901, Page 4

PERSONAL AND GENERALNOTES FROM LONDON.

[Fkom Our Special GoßUKsrotfDMrr.J • * 'LONDON, August 16. Canon Teignmouth Shore, the Anglican cleric ivhows the late Empress Frederic's favorite preacher, and who wis with the Empress timing her last moments, narrated a curious little death chamber incident during a sermon he preached at the English Church at Homburg la-st Sunday. As the impress was breathing her last, a small white butterfly. fluttering about the room lighted upon her, and just as she expired flew out of the window. The preacher remarked that the butterfly in all ages'of the church has been the emblem of the Resurrection, and when he saw it, in the death chamber he drew the attention of the Empress's relatives to this. The canon, in the course of his sermon, took the opportunity to dispel the theory held in some quarters that the late Empress was more or less an Atheist His associations with her convinced him that she was a "firm believer in the fatherhood of God, and the redeeming love of Him who died to save us all," and a religiously-minded woman, whose influence on her children was always of a distinctly religious character. But she was not a believer in the numerous dogmas of the church, and strict Anglicans found in her toleration cf other religious beliefs a ground for their Freethinker canard. Mr S. R. Sttdinan (Wonganui), who is about to return to his native land by the Oruba, was a recent recipient of the war medal from the hands of the King. At tlie outbreak of the war he was studying the poultry question, but when the call to arms came he relinquished the hen coop for the carbine, and sallied forth to South Aifrica with the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry. That he did his share of his country's work is evident from tbo fact that he was made a sergeant, and offered a commission in the Infantry of the Line. But the New Zealander saw that oven on the veldt a cash basis was required for the British officer, and declined right off the reel, without going through the " carcelled at his own request" process. Mr Stedman could not be induced to say much on the British officer question. What he did say was equivalent to a concentrated column of "Smiler" Hales'* most vigorous vermilion. It is well that so large a body of hardheaded colonials hove seen the plutocratic oflicer system in full blast, for it will be from the colonies that the reform must come. Mr Stedman, despite a bout with enteric, looks in good fettle after his holiday in Wales. Messrs William Dawson and James De Clifford (Dunedin) Lave returned to London from a tour in Scotland. They went up the east coast to Inverness, and came down to Glasgow and the Exhibition by the Highland Railway. Mr Dawson is now off to friends in the country, while Mr De Clifford promises himself a month in Bristol, the Isle of Man, and Ireland. The engagement is announced of Miss Alice Mcndelson third daughter of the late Mr Julius Mcndelson (Temuka), to Mr Richard Francis Tringle Burton, of Lougher Hall, Shrewsbury, where the Misses Mendelson are now staying. Mr A. J. Newbould (Napier), who spent a week in Paris on the way over, has an extensive programme, which includes wanderings iu England, Scotland, and Irelaud, Antwerp, Brussels, a tour up the Rhine, visits to the German and Austrian capitals, the Tyrol, Switzerland, and Italy, a voyage from 'Genoa, to the. United States by the N.D.L., a sojourn with friends in the Southera States, and a return to New Zealand via Niagara, the C.P.R., and Vancouver. Mr and Mrs Jarne* Baker (of Bakor Bros.. Auckland and Christcburch), who were passengers by the White Star Line, have since their arrival been seeing the sights of London, ana have spent a couple of days at Canterbury, and another at Margate.' Mr Baker is considerably improved in health by the voyage. The Glasgow Exhibition and Edinburgh will soon be visited, and then Paris and Rome, and some of the intervening beauty spots. Possibly they may. go still further afield, but then- plans are not yet settled. Miss Jessie Edson (Auckland) is just finishing her nursing course at the Temperance Hospital. Hampstead road, and should receive her nurse's certificate shortly. 1 understand that she intends to transfer her allegiance soon to the Maternity Hospital, York road. Mr J. E. P. Alien (Dunedin) has come Home by the Gothic to study law at Cambridge, and will be in England for four years. Mrs F. J. Townsend and her son (Dunedin) have spent most of their four months here in the provinces. After a visit to Mrs Townsend's home in Staffordshire, they proceeded to Warwickshire and Yorkshire. Having sated themselves with the sights of London, they arc now staying with Mrs Townsend's sister at Grandporf, Oxford. Her brother in Northampton will be the next relative visited, and Cheshire and Hull will thereafter witness the travellers' trail. They hope to be back iu Dunedin in time for Christmas. " I told" yon so, - ' is Mr Wilson's jubilant cry in the ' Investors' Review' on his perusal of 'The Times' "bust and borrow" cablegram. He predicted all along whither the " oppressive ' and " elephantine" Seddon was tending, and now he says "it is sure" the colony must borrow, and as we cannot now lend the crisis may end disagreeably ; but there arc always foils and counter-claps to help to deaden things, and it promises to be a race between New Zealand and Queensland which shall reach iJie goal of the abandoned borrower." A bill for £IOO. part of the expenses incurred bj r sending officers to bring Homo Lilly-white, was a couple of days ago presented to the Colchester Town Council for approval. The mayor said that the bill was for the maintenance of the officers in New Zealand and their return tickets. The P. and 0., .which had declined to brnig them back with their "capture." had paid the Corporation £SO in settlement of its claim. The total bill for this wild goose chase is said" to amount to £4OO. Mr A. W. Hogg and Miss E. Hogg have been staying,, at Rothesay. Bute. Apparently the Bars of'the Transvaal and Oraiure River colonies are likely to be open to ?#w Zealand legal practitioners, for a recent announcement in a South African paper states that "on the application of Mr Mulligan Lieutenant John Wilson, a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand, who. appeared at the Bar in khaki, was admitted to practise as an attorney before the Johannesburg Special Criminal Court."