ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9040, 19 November 1892, Page 3 (Supplement)

ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

[from the society papers.]

Having succeeded in procuring a promise) to abolish the Mastership of the Buckhounds, Court reformers are now turning their attention to the Master of the Horse. The Duke of Portland, who was the last Master of the Horse, is being jeered at on the ground that all he has done has been to invent a gorgeous uniform for himself. But the Master of the Horse has duties which concern vitally the improvement in the breed of horses. Moreover, his Grace of Portland is one of the worst men to raise a cry against. There is no truer, more honourable, or more popular patron of the turf. Above all, he gives his winnings to the Duchess for distribution in charity. It has been stated the Master of the Buckhounds had no salary. This is wron<», he had £1700, and the Master of the Horse £2500.

Sir Edwin Watkin, whose guest Mr. Gladstone has been at the foot ofSnowdon, was also a great friend of John Bright, and when the break took place in the friendship of the two statesmen after the election oi 1886 he endeavoured to bring about a reconciliation. With this object in view he addressed himself to a dear relative of Mr. Gladstone, inquiring whether the G.O.M. would have any objection to meet Mr. Bright on the neutral ground of Sir Edward's house at Northenden, near Manchester. A most encouraging answer was received. Sir Edward then wrote to Mr. Bright making a similar proposal, but received by return of post a reply that precluded all hope of a meeting. Mr. Bright to the last, according to the testimony oi his nephew, refused to meet his former ally on any pretext of smoothing over their differences. Mr. Gladstone, on the other band, never abandoned his attitude of personal friendliness, and was among the mosb frequent inquirers when Mr. Bright was on his death-bed.

There are some people whose handwriting is about as difficult to decipher as Egyptian hieroglyphics. An amusing anecdote is told of Dean Stanley's failing in this particular. Canon Kingsley one day received a letter from the dean at a time Mrs. Kingsley was very ill. The letter arrived at dinner time, by the evening post. Mr. Kingsley opened it, and examined ib for many minutes. At last he said, "I have every reason to believe that this is a very kind letter of sympathy from Stanley. I feel sure ib is. Yet the only two words ] can even guess at are ' heartless devil 1' But I pause—l pause to accept that suggestion, as a scarcely likely one under the circumstances."

A musical writer states that fine vocalists are rare in countries where fish and meat diet prevail, and that the voice depreciates as families grow rich and increase the amount of meat consumed. Naples and Genoa, where much fish is eaten, give few of Italy's singers; and the sweet voices of Ireland are found in the country, bub nob in the towns. In Norway too much fish is eaten for the production of singers, but Sweden is a land of grain and song. Th« carnivorous birds croak ; grain-eating birds sing.

Concurrently with the opening of Parliament in January we are promised a new Parnellite sensation in the shape of a book of "revelations," chiefly of an epistolary character, concerning the Parnellite movement. In fact, ib will be a book compiled from the private letters and papers of Mr. Parnell. These papers, at the time of the Irish leader's death, passed into the hands of Mre. Parnell. She is a woman of constant ability, and having acted as the intermediary between Mr. l'arnell and Mr. Gladstone in their frequent negotiations, she hold the thread of the whole story in her hand, as it were. I have always thought that Mrs. Parnell, who loves nob Mr. Gladstone, and has some reason to detest the entire body of anti-Parnellites, would some day make effective use of the Parnell papers. She may abide her time, but if the auspicious moment should happen on the eve of the opening of Parliament let no one be surprised.

Lord Carrington is expanding himself in his new office of Lord Chamberlain. He has announced his intention of personally dealing with the licensing of theatres, and in all the details of his post he is going to be very active. Lady Carrington has consented to make the Foreign Office presentations, which are usually made by the wife of the Foreign Secretary. Lord Carrington, it may be remembered, was one of the few intimates of the Prince of Wales. A story was put about that H. R.H. severely snubbed him for presuming on the favour that had been shown to him. The story in this form is not credible, bub there is no doubt that something occurred to cool the former friendship between Prince and Peer.

The Marquess of Stafford, who now succeeds to the Dukedom of Sutherland, is jnst over forty years of age. He is married to a sister of Lord Rosslyn, and by her has two sons and a daughter. Ho represented Sutherfandshire from 1874 to 1886, when he had to give place to the son of a crofter, who was formerly a mathematical teacher. At the election of 1885 Lord Stafford expressed much sympathy with the crofbers ; he will now have an opportunity of practically demonstrating his good-will towards them. Lord Stafford recently distinguished himself by the promptness with which he hit upon the expedient of ripping up the cushions in order to wrap in wadding the sufferers by the explosion of steam on board a steam boab plying on the lake of Geneva.

The Czar as a family man is an example for other European monarchs. He passes his evenings with his family, and often reads to his wife while she embroiders. A paragraph to that effect is now being industriously circulated by the newspapers of Russia, and cheap picturos are being sold by the million, showing the Czar seated at a table, holding a book in front of him, while the Empress stitches aba piece o' work which looks like whab our grandmothers called a " sampler."

The Emperors of Russia and Germany have jointly compensated a Kiel shoemaker for the loss of his little daughter under the following distressing circumstances -Just at the time of the recent meeting of the Kaiser and Czar at Kiel, the shoemaker, accompanied by his little daughter, crossed the harbour in a boat on his way to some business. The men-of-war, forty in number, began firing salutes, and the poor child, who was little more than two years old, became frightened by the terrible noise, and had to be taken home. On the following day she showed signs of losing her mind. Recently she died from the effects of tht fright.

The late Earl of Essex delighted in mechanical work. It is stated that during the croquet craze of 20 years ago he made many thousands of pounds out of the well-known Cassiobury mallets he invented, and when his eyesight was failing he designed a light open hearse, or rather bier, on wheels, which he kept in one of his coach-houses, and often showed to visitors.

A Gibraltar correspondent speaks of a brave old warrior, 84 years of age. by name Falk, and a Londoner by birth, who is living there. He has served in. the Afghanistan, Sutlej, and Punjab campaigns, having been in no less than sixteen battles, including the Khyber Pass, relief of Jellalabad, rescue of Lady Sale, 106 men, women, and children in the year 1842. He is the only person living who wears the Cabul medal of 1842. After being recommended by many previous governors of " The Rock for special pension, including General Sir Lothian Nicholson, the old soldier (who purchased his discharge after twelve year's service for a presumably better appointment, and thus lost the pension for fourteen years' service, and who of late has been almost in a poverty-stricken way) has obtained a special pension from the Chelsea Hospital Board. May he live long to enjoy it. ' '•

The Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland will have the assistance of his sister, Mrs. HennikerMajor, in holding his Court at Dublin Castle, who will be addressed as " Her Excellency the Vice-Reined on all official occasions. Lord Crewe has augmented the insufficient allowance of £20,000 a year by the hand, some addition of £15,000 during his nephew's viceroyalty, so y; that the loug-eßtabli»bed reputation of Dublin Castle for hospitality will be fully maintained, if nob exceeded.