ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8928, 17 December 1887, Page 3 (Supplement)

ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

[fbom the society papers.] The late Mrs. Cmik (Miss Mnlock), tbtf popular authoress ot " John Halifax, Gentle- 1 man," was by birth a Staffordshire woman. She was born at Stoke-on-Trent, and her father, John Mulock, lived for some years at Stafford. He was a somewhat eocentrio old fellow in his later years, one of his prominent! idiosyncracies being an excessive, almost an' idolatrous, admiration for bis daughter')! talents. Whenever he signed his name, even, if only to a small order for provisions, he would add, "father of the author of 'John Halifax, Gentleman.'" He was at one 'time private secretary or something of the kind to a leading statesman, and he had in his : possession at the time of his death a large quantity of correspondence from eminent men of the early part of the century, include ing, it is said, Lord Byron.

M. de Lesseps is quite sanguine that the Panama Canal will oe ready in 1890 for the passage of twenty ships per day. He has made the announcement to the members of : the Academy of Sciences in presenting them with the two last volumes of his memoirs of 1 forty years. It is to be hoped that the octogenarian canal-cutter will prove correct in his prognostications, but many people here are still sceptical as to the termination of the tremendous undertaking at the data mentioned by the venerable Academician.

Mr. Hamilton Aid 6 will spend the greater part of the winter- in yachting with Sie Percy Shelley and Mr. A. Froude on th 3 shores of the Mediterranean.

Sir Charles Dilke, on his recent visit to Constantinople, did not expect to see the Sultan, and declined to ask for an audience. He was, therefore, agreeably surprised to receive a visit from an Imperial Chamberlain, who made an offer to Sir Charles, in tho Sultan's name, of the Grand Cordon of' the Medjidie, and to Lady Dilke cf the Chefakat. He also signified that a private audience would be granted to Sir Charles, who naturally availed himself of this favour,' and remained for a long time with Abdul Hamid. At the close of the audience, the Sultan expressed a wish to make the acquaintance of Lady Dilke, and said, " Come and dine here with her on Monday, at sunset." Sir Charles could not accept the Medjidie,; but his wife wore the Turkish order .in goingto the dinner, which was served at six. When the English guests were leaving, thoi Sultan took np a small packet, which he asked Sir Charles to accept, as, "though of no intrinsic value, it contained some views 1 of Constantinople." When it was opened at the hotel, the packet was found to contain » gold cigarette-box, with enamelled views oC Constantinople set in brilliants. An iradS was also given to enable Sir Charles and Lady Dilke to see the treasure and the palaces ; and, if it did not, said the Father of the Faithful, cover everything further, facilities would be granted.

A body of monks from France (Whits Canons of St. Norbert) have just taken up' their abode at the spacious and handaoma priory on Farnborough Hill, which has been built and presented to them by the Emprea., Eugenie.

There is no doubt therefore that Mr. Gladstone has gone into the chip trade; and this being seriously so, it is seriously worth while for all the people in this country who have anything to lose by the country's ruin, to consider whether it might not be a prudent course to render that trade so profitable to him as to make it worth his while to abandon all others, including that of politics. At 3s a cubic foot, £1 would 'represent, say six, cubic feet. I would suggest therefore that the nation should purchase of Mr. Gladstone 60,000 cubic feet of chips per annum. This would give him an annual income of £10,000, in consideration of which he would, I venture to say, be only too glad to stick to chipmaking, and give up all Constitution and speech-making. It would be cheap at the price to the country. * .

Within recent weeks an amusing story baft gone the rounds of the press, to the effect that "The American Magazine" was to be conducted for the benefit of its contributors,' who would receive stock in payment for their literary work'. The paragraph has called forth much pity for the editor of a magazine so managed ; wasted tears, as the story never had any foundation and is wholly untrue,

The NeueFreie Presse ofVienna gives the fcl« lowing account of the life of the Crown Prince at Baveno : —"The life of the German royalties at the Villa Clara is a very quiet one, as the Prince is not allowed to speak much. The proposed visit to the Italian royal family at Moaza has been postponed sine die, and the intercourse with the Princes who are staying with the Duchess of Genoa at Stresa has been limited as far as possible. The Crown Prince's suite ia a small one. Besides the three Princesses and two doctors—namely, the Prince's private German physician and Dr. Mackenzie's assistant—there are only three gentlemen, two Court ladies, the governess of the Princesses, and six or seven domestic servants. The meals are taken in common at noon and at 8 o'clock in the evening. The intervening time is spent ineasy occupations or in pleasant walks along the lake shore, or in the villa gardens. In the evening the family unite for conversation, in a large and comfortable drawingroom, or a game iB played by the, gentlemen in the billiardroom."

I hear from Sootland that Lord Rosebery purposes taking some very energetic steps in relation to the House of Lords next session. His Lordship, it appears, intends bringing in a Bill for the complete remodelling of the constitution of the Upper Chamber. Should the Bill be thrown out, he will then petition; the Queen and Parliament to relieve him of the disability he now labours under; and, if successful, will present himself as a candidate for a seat in the House of Commons! on the first opportunity.

A story is going the round of the newspapers that among the many Jubilee gifts lately presented to Prince Bismarck was an immensely massive and heavy writing desk, made of cannon balls, sent him by an English admirer, Lord Banelagh, and that on seeing it the Chancellor exclaimed, "God grant that cannon balls may always be as peacefully employed." It is at any rate th« unanimous opinion of the German press that the fulfilment of this pious wish has beet rendered a good deal more probable, as fat at least as the next few years are concerned, by the pilgrimage of Signor Crispi to Fric-d----richsruhof that Signor Crispi who, before being sobered by the responsibility of office, was known to be a radical in domestic politics and suspected of preferring an alliance with France to a brotherhood with •the German Powers.

"President Cleveland," says a despatch from St. Louis, "is meeting with a warm reception. He shook bands with 9000 people, and his arm was nearly wrung off before the reception ceased, with many thousands stiil clamouring to get at him." This suggests a parody of the proverb, "In the kingdom of the blind the one-eyed is king," to the effect that "In the republic of the hand-shakers the one-armed should be President." A mechanical arm with a nicely-fitted and welloiled sooket oould alone go through a performance like this without enduring agony. Were the presidential office hereditary, there! would be some excuse for the maintenance of this hand-shaking - ceremony, since the Presidents, in a few generations, would develop Into a race of mighty muscle-men, which would probably be known to history. as the Strongi'th'arm Dynasty. As it is, the '** President has barely become hardened when his term of office expires; he has gone through the torture without reaping its reward. Some humaner form of salutation might surely be devised in a country so inventive as America.

It seems to be the general opinion of old Australians that if any of Buffalo Bill's cowboys got on to a Waler who really meant business, and did not propose to carry a man for a long ride, that cowboy would not react his journey's end in safety. No' doubt, the bror.chos at the Wild West Show are hard to si* 1 and no doubt, also, the cowboys' are wonderfully good riders, but these horses are at it all the time, and the men know what to expect, riding them as they do day after day. But the Waler's strong point is his artfulness. He will give half-a-dozen tremendous bucks, and then, if his rider sticks on, will apparently give up the fight and pro- V ceed placidly enough. He is, however, - merely waiting till he feels the hand and knees relax, then—the worst of it is that tha 1 breath is so completely knocked out K the fallen aian'a t