CURRENT GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6817, 22 September 1883, Page 3 (Supplement)

CURRENT GOSSIP.

Mme. ModjE3KA is a firm believer in dreams. Mr. Tennyson begins to look very old and weird. Prince Bismarck has shaved off his beard, and thus resumes his former appearance. A packet of Lady Byron's letters, >vith one to Lord Byron referring to the cause of their separation, recently sold for £21. The Duke of has become Colonel ofthe Scots Guards. He will not, however, proceed to India with the regiment. The Emperor of Russia has presented to Lord WolseUy a magnificent gold snuil' box, studded with diamonds, and worth as a parting present. ) President Gri-vy has sent a magnificent vase of Sevres china to tho Sultan, and H;a ■ Majesty has expre-'sed his thauka tor ihe same through the "Marquis de Noaillea, the French Ambassador. An old greasy hat belonging to Wagner, which was left by him at a hatter's in Venice on the occasion of his puicbasins; a ntvv tile, has been sold to a gentleman of Beilin, who journeyed to Venice and bought it at an enormous price. The New York Herald says: " T..0 slur is affixed t" Gambetta'a memory, and in th* course of time the French, who never loved him over-much, may come to identify him with the facile Numa Koumestun, the unscrupulous hero of Duudot's novel. The sale of autographs ia just now a specialty, and some signatures reali.-e prices ridiculously high ; 1 have heard £'20 asked for a letter of Mrs. Langtry's. Sigi.ed photographs of themselves are friqueuily contributed by celebrities, and autographs written across a blank sheet fetuh j>ood pices, according to the social, politic.), literar}-, histrionic.'or other tocial status of the writers. Amongsit the booty secured by t!ie victorious rebels at the br.ttlc of Uluiuli waa a silver-mounted dntkiog cup, on lyhieh ia tugraved, "Presented lo his inipe. i:il Maji.sty King Cetewayo by Lord and Lady Edward S. Churchill." One of Usibcpu'a luclunas has the Malacca cane presented by the Prince of Wales, and Usibepu himself liau tutf three handled mug presented by theQuiea, as well as t«o splendid photographs of Her Majesty. Duriug tho stay of the Princess Iviuiaeat Bermuda, a pleasiug incident occurred. An | afternoon dance was arranged to be held on board the Northampton, aud herlloyal Highness having heard of it intimated a desice to be present. The gallant officer suggested that the impromptu affair was informal, but the Princess, after commanding that no special arrangements should be made on her account, attended the 'hop," and won over allhearts by her unaffected manners, joining in most of the dance?, and being the last, with her suite, to leave the ship. Tho Rev. Uenry Ward Beecher is in private life a most domestic man, as everyone know?, and in his younger days Used to l>e very foud of his little joko in the kitchen when assisting Mrs, Beeeher in the houscholii duties. According to the ban Francisco News Letter it is related of him that he once worked two hours on a batch of bread while his wife was teaching Sunday school, and that after he had eaten some of it the next day, he remarked that he had partaken of it with Christian thankfullness because ho kneaded it. Mr Justice Moule sentenced a rural prisoner in Ecghiud in the following woids : " Prisoner at the bar, your counsel thinks you innocent; the'counsel for the prosecution thinks you innocent; I think you innocent. But a jury of your own countrymen in the exercise of such common sense as they possess, which does not se<-m to ba much, have found you "guilty," and it remains that I should pass on you the sentence of the law. That is, that you be kept imprisoned one day, and as that d.y was yesterday, you may go about your business." Princessßeatricehasbeen suffering severely from rheumatism of late, and that is stated to be the reason for the trip to Aix-les-Baiu-to drink the waters. It is the opinion that the malady may partly be traced to her Koyal mother's love of low-necked dresses. Uu:il two wiuters ago, the Queen insisted o:i the Princess wearing low budiees and short sleeves at dinner every evening, despite the draughts and damps inseparable from 1 loyal palaces. At list the constant recurrence if colds and coughs inducud the Queen to permit the Princess to wear square cut dresses aud elbow sleeves.