PERSONAL ITEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6948, 23 February 1884, Page 4 (Supplement)

PERSONAL ITEMS.

Mrs. Hatikiet Brechee Stowe, it is said, has a revenue of £600 a-year from her Florida orange groves. The widow of Informer Carey declines to go abrcjad, and asks for safe employment in Great Britain. The Hon. Ivo Bligh is on his y.voyaze to Hobson's Bay. Preparations for his wedding are being made at Rupertswood. The Queen for nearly a quarter of a century has never occupied Buckingham Palace for more than six days in each year. Mr. Irving Bishop, after his fiasco with Mr. Labouchere in London, has succeeded in creating a stir in Dublin and Belfast; - Mr. Melton Prior has been dispatched by the Illustrated London News to act as their chief artistic war epecial in the Soudan. Countess of Roseberry previous to leaving Melbourne sent £50 to Mr. E L. Zox, M P , for distribution amongst the Hebrew chantiee of Mel' ourne. Mr. Ue:iry Irvine, the eminent actor, has sent from New York a contribution of £20 to the Manse fnnd of St. David's Church Edmburp, of whicn Mr. Webster is pastor. Lord Cork has had the misfortune to be robbed of his pocket-book during his American tour. It contained £50, as well as his letter of credit, and some valuable private papers. Mrs. Andersen, the talented wife of the wizard of that name, is a proved adept in thought reading. Young men fchuuld be careful what they think about iu presence of the lady. The Princess Dolgorouki has taken a house in Belgravia for the next season, which she vrill pass here. The children's! education has been placed under the superintendence of Count Melikoff. Mr. Charlee Ros3, for about half a century the chief of the Times' Parliamentary stifl, is about to retire. Extreme old age, for the veteran has seen four score yeais of life, is the cause of his retirement. Prince Gtorge of Wales is pioving himself a real "salt." He is the pet of olhccira and crew of H.M.S Canada, and though not baclc,ward in his studies or other thm conscientious in his duties, he is healthy, hardy, and Jii3t a little mischievous , . While discrediting the report of Mr A. C. Swinburne's proposed American leecuie tour, a writer in the Cardiff, Wales, Timed saya ; "He ia one of the host talkers we have Like Carlylri and Metternich, his \\onti3 t« take a subject aud to exhaust it. He likes to hear himself talk." The Lord Mayor of London, ia welcoming Prof. Huxley to the City receutlv, suggested that the position of President of the Royal Society was really one of even greater importance than that of Prime minister. Mi. Gudstone is chief Minister of England, but Fror was -'the head of the intellectual life of the world." Rome ia reported much pleased with the mtssago of th« Emperor of Germany to King Humbert, and especially at this portion of thu dispatch : "My sou will have the honour of kissing the hand of your fair consort, Q ieen Margherita. 1 envy him the distinguished privilege." This it ia said, shows woudeiful gallantry for a monarch eighty-six years old. A novelty was introduced at Hatfield during the recent visit of the Duke and Duchess of Albany. Instead of there being one long dining table, as ia usually the case, small tables lor four were dotted about, aud had a very pretty and sociable effect. Tho Duchesss sat with Lord Salsisbury and another couple at one table, and Lady Salisbury sat with tho Duke and another. Messrs. Forder and Co., the well-known hansom cab builders, have ]jat m»de a "Patent Royal Hansom" for Mis. Langtiy, for her private use in America, A special feature about this kansom is that it is fitted with a door-opening apparatus by which the driver can open and close tho doors without moving off his box. This must be very advantageous to ladies in wot weither, as the whole hanscm can be closed, and yet be ready at a moment's notice when tequiied. Tbe methods of work of E. P. Roo the popular novelist, are peculiar. Ho writes his manuscript in a huge ledger or bla-nkbook and usually finishes a novel under tremendous pressure, sometimes shutting himself up in a room in a New York hotel and driving away on diet of beefsteak and coffee, allowing himself only the recreation of an evening of good music, till his book is finished. This method occasionally results in a visible carelessness of construction which hie readers, easily forgive.