ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10133, 16 May 1896, Page 3 (Supplement)

ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

FROM THE SOCIETY PAPERS.] The Australians have quite enough low Jkfa celebrities of their own in London without striving to claim some that do no* belong to them. Miss Dorothea Baird, the popular Trilby of the Haymarket, has been referred to in some, of the Antipodean journals as" a lovely Sydney girl," whereas she has never yob crossed the Equator. But she has two sisters who have changed from the northern to the southern hemisphere, and are Jiving in Sydney. One is the wife of the Hon. B. R. Wise, late '.itorneyGeneral of New South Wales, and an erstwhile worker with Arnold Toynbee in the East End of London, and the other is married to Professor Threlfail, of the Sydney University. A third Miss Baird is" the wife of Mr. E. T. Cook, editor of the Daily News, and the fourth and reigning Mis* Baird is engaged to marry the eldest son of Sir Henry Irving.

According to the Catholic Times, there is\ good reason to believe that the Pope is about to pronounce a decision—final at leas! Or the Catholic world— the question of Anglican Orders. In the event of the Papal pronouncement, the decision of the Pops will not be a mere matter -of choice, buJ strictly in accord with, and governed by, facte and Canon Law, It is significant that Canon Moyes is about to proceed to Rome,; and will take with him a document on Anglican Orders, drawn up at the instance of Cardinal Vaughan. It is generally be« lioTed that the Pope's decision will bet condemnatory of the validity of Anglican: Orders. This will tend still further to postpone the time of Reunion, Reunion, in-i deed, implies that there is ground on which' the two Churches can meet in agreement, but if that hope has been formed at all in : the English Church, it is destined to meett with its diath- blow from this coming decision of the Holy See, which means clearly that submission is the only term of Reunion in the mind of Rome.

Referring to the proposal to establish Br " Regiment of Gentlemen," the Standard observes that it must be admitted that the public schools contain many young fellows * who "have nob brains enough to enters Sandhurst," but possess all the othetf qualities which go to the making of good soldiers—pluck, stamina, and a healthy abhorrence of work indoors. They would be just the men to lead forlorn hopes, stiffen a shaky division, hold back troops from* plunder, and scout singly. And if thev were enlisted in a corps where they would mix only with their equals, they would avoid the invidious position held by the: "gentleman ranker," in an ordinary regi< ment. They would enter on a pleasant and useful career, and for a time their parent! i and guardians would get them off their hands and feel pretty sure that they could not fall into serious mischief. Bub the marching years of men do nob last very long. . What is to become of these cadets when they have to be discharged ? Only a small percentage would get promotion in the Army, and the rest would be sent away, in the prime of life, without any chance of obtaining employment suitable to their birth and education. lb is hard enough to find berths for lads of twenty; impossible: for men of thirty and thirty-five. They might marry, no doubt, but the supply of heiresses is nob quite so plentiful as the matrimonial agent pretends; and young ladies of fortune have contracted a sordid fashion of looking out for suitors with a. settled income or negotiable expectations.' That is the practical and serious aspect of] the question. Of course, it has a lights! side. There would, for instance, be n« little flutter in a garrision town when if was announced that the Gentlemen Corp* was to take up its quarters there. Th« possibilities of flirtation would no longec, be limited to a dozen or so of unmarried officers. The dances and the picnics mighty have to be conducted on the most economical scale, though we have no doubt* that the young ladies would contrive ta have a good time. But what would th< maidservants think about it all ? If they were to be robbed of their red-coat lovers by their own mistresses, they would very soon come to share the well-known opinion of retired generals and half-pay majors— that the Service is going to the dogs.

It has been asserted without foundation that the figure of Britannia on the bronze coins of the realm originated in a portrait! of a mistress of Charles 11. The late Mr, H. Montagu in his work, "The Copper, Tin,, and Bronze Coinage of England," says!~" The figure of Britannia first occur* on this issue (1672) of copper coins, and is evidently an imitation of a similar figure in almost the same position on some Roman, pieces, notably on those of Hadrian and Antoninus Pius, and the well-know;*' medallion of Commodus. The portrait has been supposed to be that of the beautiful Frances Stewart, afterwards Duchess o) Richond, but the figure was, apparently, adopted on coins of. this Monarch (Charles II.) before that lady was taken into bit favour, nor does it resemble her."

Mr. Gully, although a young Speaker, has completely conquered his facial muscles, and is never known to smile. His pre* decessor, Viscount Peel, was also a stars and unsmiling Speaker, but there was on* member who occasionally compelled him to ; relax the rigidity of his countenance. That was Admiral Field, the breezy and unconventional member for Eastbourne. The gallant Admiral during the last Parliament had a habit when he was dissatisfied with Ministerial replies to his questions, of twisting his arms and legs into most peculiar shapes, raising his voice as if ha were giving orders on the quarter-deck ia a gale, .and contorting his features in a funny fashion. This naval exhibition was at times too much for the gravity of Mr. Peel, who was compelled to hide his facr behind a copy of the orders of the day and have a subdued fit of merriment,

Max O'Rell tells some curious stories of "Peculiar Children"in the Strand Magazine. The writer was for eighb years a master of St. Paul's School, and ho ciilla from his experiences there. lb is, be lays, something worth hearing, that swaggering of little English boys about there social standing. First the young heirs to titles, then the sons of the gentry, the sons i£ professional men, the sons of merchants* the sons of clerks, all these are set perfectly distinct. "'I say, what do you think I have heard V I once overheard ' a^little boy of ten say to a young schoolfellow. 'You know Brown? Well, I have heard to-day that his father keeps a store I' : This seemed to take away the breath-of the other little boy; he was staggered, and grew 5 pale with amazement. • You don't say so!' he ejaculated, - 'I- thought he Was" a gentleman.' And the two young society boys separated withagrave, high hand-Bhake." <■■'

... Sir, Charles Pearson has virtually decided to accept;. seat on. the Sottish Bench left vacant by the retirem&nb of Lord Rutherford .Clark. Mr. Graham Murray, who will' be appointed Lord Advocate in place of Sir Charles Pearson, is aW i popular member with both sections of m