HOME GOSSIP.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XX, Issue 3898, 14 April 1877, Page 2

HOME GOSSIP.

(By " Atlas," in the " World,") I am assured that we are living in a fool's paradise here in England, and that the present dull calm in the political horizon ia only the precursor of a tremendous storm. There is not the slightest foundation for the rumor of Prince Gortschakoff's resignation. On the contrary he' is regarded as the only man who can pull his country through the present crisis, even Schouvaloff admitting his indispensability. Under any circumstances Russia cannot make a hostile move until , the end of April, the spring floods rendering - the Danube impassable, and the roads through the marshes utterly unfit for military movements'. How time flies,, to be sure" 1 It seems a "far cry" back to 1846, when at Otfvent. Garden Mdlle. Alb'oni was the rival attraction to the furore caused by the sing T ing of Jenny Lincl at Her Majesty's ; and it 13 riow fourteen years ago since the great contralto, who had previously become the Coimtess Pepolo, bade farewell to the stage whereoii her long series of lyric triumphs were won. Yet surviving admirers of the' gifted artist, How in her fifty-fourth year, have only this week had the pleasure of hearing the second marriage of the widowed countess, a Captain Reiglef bo'iitg the happy man who has dared to defy Mr Weller Senior's injunction to " beware of the vklders. I hear that the Standard ia about to change hands, the ostensible purchaser being an architect, well known in business circles, who is acting on behalf of a Conservative M.P. The price paid, I understand, is about £150,000, Here is a chance for young gentlemen with a taste for letter- writing (see Daily News, January 24 : — " A Danish lady, of noble family, wishes to correspond with an English gentleman of good family for her pleasure, and improving herself in the English language. — Please address to Miss , Copenhagen." I sincerely trust this Danish lady will meet with some modern Walpole, and that her knowledge of the English language may be improved. The Pall Matt Gazette is so busy with settling the Eastern Question that it would seem to have forgotten the geography of London, for in its account of the opening of Parliament Av r e are told of the Queen passing " the Nelson Column, the steps to which appeared literally a mass of heads." I always thought the column in Carlton House Gardens— which is the one meant — was the Duke of York's Column, and that Nelson's was in Trafalgar-square ; but then I am oldfashioned, and was surprised to find that, according to the Times, Constantinople is no longer in Europe, the leading joiu-nal having last week informed us that " Midhat Pasha was expected shortly in Europe." I did not know he had ever left it. A young lady with whom I have the pleasure to be acquainted asked me the other day what nation I considered to be of the most importance to England in the present crisis. Believing, my young friend to be of a sensible turn of mind, and not given to frivolous jesting on grave matters, I briefly reviewed the Eastern Question iin all its bearings, and so arrived at the conclusion — which I have the honor to . think I share with the lords and gentle- ■ men assembled and my fellow-countrymen assembled — that I did not know : and having made my confession awaited the information curiously. "Vaccination," was the answer ; and I felt foolish. The wisdom of the remark I could not but acknowledge ; but my soul was sore within me, and it was Avith difficulty that I refrained from mentioning yet another nation, prefixed by that one syllable which Byron grandiloquently styles the " neucleus of England's native eloquence." A correspondent says : — " Reading last week's paragraph about Mr Tooth's case in the World, a yet simpler method of dealing witli him occurred to me. He undertook when ordained for a certain salary to preach certain doctrines. If his doctrine is bad, pay him in bad money ?" . Apropos of fires in theatres, I hear that an exciting and somewhat alarming scene was witnessed at the Olympic Theatre on Tuesday evening last. Miss Ada Cavendish, who, as " the Queen of Connaught," has at a certain period of the performance to brandish a torch, set fire to Mr Hill's wig. With her usual sangfroid the popular actress continued her part, cleverly managing at the same time to extinguish the flames that encircled Mr Hill's broad countenance with the hand she had at liberty. But mischief was still in store for the torch. To go on with her part as if no contretemps had happened, to brandish a " flambeau" with one hand, and to put out a fire with the other, proved even too much for Miss Cavendish. The torch was forgotten, and in another moment "the Queen of Connaught's "• flaxen wig was crackling in the flames. Mr Neville rushed to the rescue, and I am delighted to hear that no serious results have proceeded from the accident. The army doctors are being stirred up with a vengeance, scores of them being sent oft" to India and the colonies. Of course there must be a little trouble on the introduction of a new system, but it is rather hard that a surgeon, a fortnight before the day on which he embark, for foreign service, should not have seen his successor. However callous familiarity with suffering may make a doctor, it is nevertheless conceivable that he may have some friends and relations to whom he woxild like to pay a visit before leaving England for perhaps six or seven years. I hear from a private source that those about the person of that fine old soldier the Emperor of Germany are not a little concerned at the state of his health. His Imperial Majesty is suffering from clropsjin the feet. The brother and heir of the dethroned Taicoon of Japan is at his moment fixed in Paris as a student", He is a gentlemanly, quiet young man. The Mikado allows him £200 a year for his expenses. Übi Ici2)sus ! Ten years ago thirty millions of people trembled at his name ! Like Mr Lowe and Sir Sydney Waterlow, Mr Egerton Hubbard is president of a local bicycle club, and in that capacity is expected to take the chair at its anniversary dinner, in wliich position the member for Buckingham will probably show up to more advantage than on a " spider." I see a good business [to be done in

"Our Boys. There is only one Mr Middlewick in the London Directory, and this gentleman keeps a chandler's shop in the south-eastern district of London. Now why could not Mr David James add to his enormous income by saying something about Mr Middlewick's candles, and why should not Mr Middlewick derive a large custom from the advertisement of his name? Depend upon it, a proper coalition between tradesmen and theatrical managers would open a new vein, . which only requires judicious working in order to prove a mine of wealth. ' " " The Turks say they will take the Russians at their word. The latter want to ... ship the Circassians out of Europe". Sd ""' be: it, says Midhat , Pasha. In. the event of war the Turks, haying the command of the Black Sea, will send back these lost tribes of the Caucasus to their own-coun-try, and make a determined .effort .;to destroy the Russian communications! , ; How curiously "East-end pfeSctierV I' obtain the attention of their congregations! ; ", Ned Wright secures a hearing by a casual : '"" reference to past burglaries, and "Fiddler Joss '-Appeahs.to.the better feelings; of May '4 listeners by informing iliein that he was drunk for five years.. Could not some- f . tiling of tins soil be done- nearer;hom<t iff. Aiconfession of a Stock Exchange swindle ' " frpm an evangelist, an admission., of tailors' and milliners' bills. from" a Ritualist, and a hint at heavy, betting from a Broad Churchman might perhaps more effectually claim ; the sympathies of our gilded youth, male and female, than the systems in vogue at present ".seem to do. .. ; , Should pigeon - shooting, -go. . jout of fashion — of which there, is, no pres<Slfc prospect — I am happy to J think* thSi society will have a substitute sport io f all back on. . I allude . to : the . fascinating matches of sheep-killing, wliich" Have recently been introduced in New-=Y6rk, On Saturday, the 6th tilt".', two gentlemen, named Harrington 'and Bo»art, had a sheep-killing match for five hundred dollars, which excited nnich interest. Mr Harrington was the favorite in' tncJir&tting, but failed to justify the confidence of his backers. A hundred sheep^ere . : provided, and the match lasted. two hajtate and forty minutes. Mr Bogart's bes^tiine was on his first sheep, which he 'killed, cleaned, and dressed ready for market' in exactly three minutes, his superior skill enabling him to beat Mr Harrington by three sheep, and win the. match.. It is ■riot impossible that we may 'see ,this charming sport introduced at Hurlingham. next season/ If the noble sportsmen think the. sheep-killing would possibly be too trying at first for "their .fair frieids, they could begin with lambs.- - .' "_ I am grieved to discover that I have been fov » long time past -wearing unfashionable night-shirts. As many of my friends have probably .been doing .the same. I venture to quote the following from the current number bf':":Myra's Journal " :— " Embroidefed . , shirt-fronts are not fashionable as formerly for evening wear. When used at all, only: the merest line of needlework is seen. More fanci- r fully embroidered fronts are used on night-shirts. These are made with deeply turned-over collars, a white-linen cord and tassel round the neck, and a breast- y. pocket, on wliich the initial or monogram I is wrought. Other night-shirts have a" narrow ruffle of stripped percale . on the fronts and a cord or. line of color on the :* collar alid cuffs." I am sure my male readers will feel grateful for this infornlation, though they will probably wonder, as I do, how Miss Myra managed to pick' up such elaborate information upon sodifficult a subject.