PERSONAL ITEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10347, 23 January 1897, Page 4 (Supplement)

PERSONAL ITEMS.

The whole of the letters and dispatches of the Duke of Wellington to General Lord Hill were sold by auction ab Shrewsbury to the trustees of the British Museum for 600 guineas. The story of the lameness of the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol is touching. The Bishop gob his leg broken in a railway accidenb, but preferred to lie down and administer religious consolation to a dying stoker, who was wedged under the ruin's of an engine, rather than have his own leg set.

Few of the statesmen and courtiers whom the Czar meb ab Balmoral made so favourable an impression on him as Lord Churchill, with whom ho had many long talks. A few days ago he sent Lord Churchill, who is now staying at Cottesmore Hall, Oakhsm, a suparb agate vase adorned with the Imperial eagle in diamonds, Vice-Admiral Sir John Hopkins, who is to replace Admiral Sir Michael CulmeSeymour as Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean, has left Portsmouth for Malta in his flagship, the Revenge. Sir Michael Culme-Seymour is to succeed Admiral Sir Nowell Salmon, V.0., as Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth in June next. Sarah BernhardVs oxtravagance is well known, and her house in Paris shows ib in every way. Her bedroom, says a gossip, is hung with purple stuff, embroidered with the golden flower of France, The ceiling is painted by Clairin, the windows are draped with lace curtains worked with peacock plumes, and the handsome marble timepiece is loaded with souvenirs and portraits. Mrs. Temple, the wife of the new Archbishop, is the daughter of the late Mr. William Sebright Lascelles (the third son of the second Earl of Harewood) by his wife, Lady Caroline Howard, the eldest daughter of the sixth Earl of Carlisle, and consequently is nearly related to the ducal houses of Sutherland and Devonshire, and, she is also sister of two ladies who havo been maids of honour to the Queen (one of whom is tho widow of Lord Edward Cavendish) and of Sir Frank Lascelles, now ambassador at Berlin. Prince Bismarck is supposed by some people to be blind to a woman's charms, but a story is told which indicates that tho ex-Iron Chancellor is quite as susceptible to feminine loveliness as other men. A Colorado belle, who was taking the waters at Kissengen when Bismarck was there, one day walked straight up to him, as American girls will when they have made up their minds to do a thing, and said, " I am going home to-day; may I shake hands with you?" She took his offered hand atid attempted to kiss it, bub be promptly withdrew it, saying, "In Kissengen we do not kiss hands," and the scarcely displeased damsel received a chaste salute upon her lips.

William 11. of Germany enjoys the unique distinction of being the only European Sovereign who has ever descended to hie kitchen and "had it out with his cook." Coffeo has never been a strong point with the Berlinere, and it seems that the Imperial is no better than tlio rest. His Majesty grew weary of complaining to officers of the Household, and one morning actually wenb below stairs to investigate the matters himself. After the shock of the Imperial presence had subsided, William, Emperor of Germany, King of Prussia, soldier, sailor, sportsman, poet, theatrical manager, orchestral leader, and absolute authority on everything, demonstrated that there was still one more thing that be knew all about, and that was coffee. The late Lady Tennyson was married the year her husband published his "In Memoriam," and the year he became Laureate she charmed the poet's friends, and was herself a musical composer of no mean order. But she sank the musician in the ivifo, and never sought to divide the honour of being the poet's wife with the distinction, ill is said, she might hare achieved for herself. Nevertheless, she eet many of Tennyson's vertes to music, and some of these songs were given at- a concert; at Freshwater on the poet's birthday a year before he died. One of the last of Lady 'Tennyson's compositions was a setting of hymn 272 in "Hymns Ancient and Modern," which-was'- , handed to the organist of Haslemcre Church in manuscript not leng ago, with a reawest that the choir should aing ib..,' ,; , ... /.: /:.,