"WHAT THE WORLD SAYS."

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XX, Issue 3904, 12 May 1877, Page 2

"WHAT THE WORLD SAYS."

(By "Atlas," in the "World.") The kindliness of the Prince of Wales is sufficiently well known to all who are brought into personal relations with him. It was something more than good-nature which prompted him to give up liis carriage on Saturday last to Mr Irwin of the 20th Hussars when he was badly hurt at the Grand Military. Mr Irwin came to terrible grief at the brook ; his horse jumped too far and fell ; as he sat very tight, he got mixed up, and was very much knocked about. The Prince, who had gone down to the brook to see the jumping, insisted on Mr Irwin being carried to his carriage and so sent to London, whither the Prince returned himself by train. Londoners have been gratified with the sight of Mr Tennyson during the last week. The La\ireate has been taking his walks abroad in the neighborhood of Cavendish-square at an early hour in the morning ; and on one day the frequenters of the Drive saw him reclining in a carriage, and easily recognisable by the slouch hat, the furrowed cheeks, the flowing locks, and grizzled beard, made so familiar by the photographs. A society has been formed in Liege for utilising cats. This lias already been done in oiir country through the medium of veal-and-ham pies. The Belgians, however, intend to make the domestic animal take the ]>lace of carrier-pigeons. Several experiments have already come off, and with considerable success. Even in London, though we have not a society for cats, the cats of ' society' manage to carry a good deal of news, mostly unpleasant, from one drawing-room to another. What is Madame Patti's age, and to what country does she belong / There would seem to be considerable doubt on both these subjects. It has been frequently stated, since the recant scandal, that the diva is in her thirty-seventh year ; but this does not seem to be correct, as Vapereau and all the biographies agree that she was born in the spring of '43. though somewhat at variance as to the month. She is generally believed to have been born of Italian parents at Madrid, although there are not a few Americans who are firmly convinced " the American nightingale" first saw the light in ihe States. The last story I have heard is that the Marquise — we must not say the ex-Marquise yet, I suppose — is really the daughter of a Jew dealer in Houndsditeh, and that she was sent to spend some years in America in order to efface the East-end connection, and to give her that exotic air English people so much approve of in singers, it being a well-known fact that no Englishwoman can hold a candle to a foreigner on the operatic stage. What countzy woman, then, is Madame Patti — Spanish, or Italian, or American i Her marriage-certificate — she was married at the French Consulate here in London, I believe — would clear up the matter, French law being very much more particular than our own in such matters. A Rev. Mr Burke was lately mentioned amongst the list of guests at a Viceregal dinner in Dublin Castle. A Key. Thomas Burke, 0.P., of Tallaght, to whom an invitation had not been sent, revenged himself by writing to the local papers : — " To prevent mistakes, I beg to state that I am not the person in question, as I never received any .such invitation: 1 don't know any great personages in the world, and I should certainly be out of place in their society, as my duties and state of life are quite in another sphere." The artless device is recommended to the legion of unrecognised in London. Most celebrated men have their " doubles," and the Latireate is no exception to the rule. A leading musical critic closely resembles Mr Tennyson, and on©

would think cultivates the resemblance. Apropos of "doubles," here is a good - story. The late Mr George Jones, R.A., * bore a strong physical resemblance to the : late Duke of Wellington, and " made up" as much as possible after his Grace, with the short cloak, bit of red collar, and other well-known adjuncts. Somebody mentioned this fact to the Duke, and added that Mr Jones was often stopped in the street by strangers in mistake for his Grace. " Indeed," said the old warrior grimly, " that is odd ; I have never been stopped in the street for Mr Jones." The Grovesnor Gallery, now in co\xrse of erection in Bond-street, at a cost of about £100,000, and which owes its existence to the enterprise of Sir Coutts Lindsay, will be opened on the Ist of May. The Czar Alexander must really have a good deal of the unadulterated milk of ■ human kindness in his composition. During the two-and-twenty years of his reign he has not endorsed a single capital sentence, although there were 222 such in the period from 1855 to 1860 alone. In tin's respect seqititur pairem. From 1826 to 1854 the tribunals of Finland passed 1091 condemnations to death : not one was carried out. A certain theatrical lessee advertised that American artistes in town were free to witness an afternoon performance of his pantomime on Monday on presentation of their cards. It was rather an abuse of hisiajpgenerosity that numbers of clean-shaven^-gentlemeii should have sent up a huge -" paste-board marked "The Original Company for the Sale of Wooden Nutmegs," that a tall man should have described himself as " The Original General Tom • Thumb," and a cruel one as "The Other Bamum." Mr Jefferson, who is an - American artiste— if one there be — was not present. The tide of ladies' fashion has, I hear, turned in favor of excessive plainness iii dress. Materials are still to. be rich, buiA the make is to be very simple. Short^' mantles instead of long, and no more gorgeously fanciful embroidery. All ornament is to be reserved for the bonnets, which are to be massive structures, rain-bow-hued, and a perfect parterre of flowers. Ladies are to wear smart dress-ing-gowns for afternoon tea, and at quiet dinners before a ball. Mr Worth is making his dresses much shorter,. and the present particularly inconvenient long trains are to be abbreviated, which is a blessing for which diners-out will be thankful. In fact everything is to be simplified and shortened except the Court milliner's bills. Rossi has made his debut in St. Petersburg as Othello. The Russian press finds him of the old school — monotonous and solemn. He can express rage, disgust, and irony, but lacks sentiment and sympathy. Better things are expected of his Hamlet. Mark Twain is trying to make a visit to Europe this summer.