NOTES ABOUT FAMOUS PEOPLE.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 10017, 15 June 1895, Page 5

NOTES ABOUT FAMOUS PEOPLE.

The Qaeen has a wholesome dread of fire. Whenever she goes abroad she always baa a couple of fire-extinguiahers cent out in advance, and fitted up in the houee where she resides.

When quite an old man Mr Gladstone renewed the Btudy of French for the sake of increaßiug his familiarity with the literature, and when eighty-two rears old made his first apeeoh in Freoch.

One of our oldest M.P.'a is Sir Isaac flolden, who is now eighty-six. He believoa that people would live to be a hundred and twenty by taking care respecting diet. His daily bill of fare is aaid to be as follows :

Miss Alice Bothschild is one of the most enthusiastic women horticulturists in the world, and her collection of roses alono Is valued at £14,000. It is a remarkable fact that every member of the Eothaohilds family dislikes scented flowera, with the exception of roaea.

Tho Arohbishop of Canterbury is a Birmingham man, and was educated at King Edward's Sohool in that oity. Ho bad a brilliant University career at Cambridge, and graduated when twentythree yeara of age aa eighth olasaio, obtaining the Chancellor's senior medal. Much of his life has been spent as a Bohoolmaster.

For ten years Mrs Molesworth hais devoted her time to writing Btories for children. Very early iv lifo she demonstrated bet powers of atory-spinuing, and day by day she used as a child to continue a verbal Berial, her brothers and aistera boiug her audience. Strictly mothodical iv her writing, Mra Molesworth compete heraelf to write two pages per day at least, and if not in the mood, laya her work aside when this minimum has been accomplished. For broakfast and supper he takes one baked »pplo, one banaua, ono orange, twenty grapea, aud a blaoult made from banana flour with butter. His midday meal oonßißtaybf three ounces of beef or mutton, educed to powder in a mortar, and then passed through a oolandor, with a half-cupful of soup occasionally poured over it.

Dr. Samuel Smiles, although 82 years of age, still lives and works among his books in a pleaaant home in Kensington, aud still takes pleasure in narrating the atory of his literary life, which did not begin until he was nVo-and-forty years of age. Ho is commonly aupposed to have leaped into fame with his " Self Help. 1 ' But the work which really gaye him a front plaoe among popular authors was his " Life of Stephenaon," and this while " Self Help " was tucked away in the author's desk, a' miaeruble failure. Yearß after it had proved one of the most successful booka ever written, Dr. Smiles was dining with a leading publisher, who gontly ohid him for not having brought it to Him. " I did bring it to you," waa tho exultant reply, " and you would havo nothing to do with it."

Dr Bridge, the popular organist of Westmiuater Abbey, is a man of fifty, and is jocularly known among his fellows of " Westminster Bridge.' 1 Both he and Mrs Bridge — a charming aud accomplished lady, a nieoe of the late Barou Ampblett — are enthusiastic anglers, and every summer the one competes with the other for the oapture pf tho biggest salmon. Dr Bridge is a born humourist. He tells of going to open a new organ in the oountry not long ago. The aotion of the instrument was vary stiff and heavy, and be said so when one of the committee asked his opioiou. "Ob, well," was the reply. " our organist is a very strong young man; the exercise will do him good." Dr Bridge has hia domloile in the Littliogton Tower of the Abbey oloiatera, and sleepß in the old prior's bedroom, which bearß date 1361. Aa a composer he is associated with Mr Gladstone in a fine Betting of the latter's Latin vcraion of " Uock of Agen."