ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11520, 3 November 1900, Page 6 (Supplement)

ITEMS OF SOCIAL NEWS.

[FROM THE SOCIETY PAPERS.] -, Place a bloom of every species of flower that's "blooming ; and growing" before her the costliest specimens of exotics, the greatest novelties and discoveries of horticulture—and, according to the Penny Pictorial, the Queen would push them all aside and select from ihe gorgeous heap a modest, insignificant little wildflower—a piece of white heather. The little flower has associations which none other possesses for her. It brings back the days of her youth. Nothing pleases Her Majesty better than an offering of white heather, and in the season her apartments are plentifully decorated with this same blossom. The Princess of Wales has a weakness for simple flowers. She has a great distaste for the florist's huge bouquets, and, respecting this, the simplest and most un assuming floral tributes are always presented to her, even at the grandest functions, fleifavourite flower is recognised as the lily'of the valley, and beds and hothouses at Sandringham are well supplied with these fragrant blossoms. Tt> is said that the widowed Duchess of Saxe-Coburg will probably spend half her time in Russia in future, and that one of the Imperial Palaces will be placed at her disposal. Possessing, as he does, about a dozen palaces, the Czar can easily spare one, and the Duchess is a great favourite at St. Petersburg. The only unmarried daughter of the late Duke, Princess Beatrice is a charming girl, and it is said her mother would greatlv approve of a marriage between her and the 'German Crown Prince. All the Coburg princesses were very popular in Devonshire during the time tie Duke was in residence at Admiralty House, Devonport, and their family life was as simple and «»- ostentatious as possible. Lord Cadogan has expressed a strong desire to be relieved of his office as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland at the end of this y-av. and it is proposed at Court that thn Duke of Argyll should succeed him. The residence of a member of the Royal family at Dublin would no doubt give much satisfaction in Ireland, and Princess Louise is said to be anxious for the suggested arrangement. It may be hoped, however, that the Duke of Argyll does not contemplate a frugal dispensation of hospitality, as any attempt to do the thing "on the cheap" would be exceedingly unpopular, and would excite universal disgust in Ireland. Lord and Lady Cadogan's hospitalities have been profuse and splendid, and in this respect they will be difficult people to follow.

That is a pretty story going the rounds about Lady Roberts and her trunks, and men returning from South Africa vouch for its truth. At the height of the transport difficulties, in the teeth of the officials, she carried eight large trunks from Capetown io Bloemfontein. Everyone wondered, .'.veryone murmured. No one but Lady Roberts could have got the things through. Th* transport of stores had been stopped for th.« time, the sick lacked every comfort, pud those who were not sick were half-starved and half-clad. Therefore, when a fatigue party was told off to fetch those eight trunks from Bloemfontein Station things were said, probably about the "plague of women." But next day seven of the trunks were unpacked and their contents distributed amongst the" Tommies. The clever lady had snapped her fingers at red tape, and smuggled comforts through to the men in this way. One small trunk contained her kit.

There is one possession of Her Majesty's that is certainly not generally known to the majority of her subjects. In ono of »er cabinets she preserves the dried leaves a. a rose of St. Francis, the joint gift of " Franciscan friar and an Anglican primate. Nearly six years ago the late Archbishop of Canterbury visited Assisi and the Church of St. Maria degli Angeli. " A little way off," as he says, " is the garden of thornless rose: with blood-spotted leaves, which by these freaks are supposed to preserve- their owr record of Francis rolling himself there for penance." A few days later in the archbishop's diary there is the entry: "F. Bernardin has sent me two roses from th garden of St. Francis, one for me and one for the Queen." Here is Her Majesty's letter to Dr. Benson when she acknowledged the gift: — Pray accept my bes< thankf. for your kind note accompanying the very curious roses, which I shall carefully preserve with your note as a most gratifying relic and mark of the kindly and Christian feeling on your part, and on that of the Franciscan prior. Might I ask you to thank him for me?"

A correspondent of M.A.P. writes:—"A girl belonging to a Sussex village was entering the service of a lady living at Arundel. Ariving at the railway station, she engaged an outside porter to carry ber box, and haying gone a short distance, she mentioned she could not give him more than threepence, as the box was quite small. Thereupon, after the manner of so many of his kind, he set it down in the road and walked off. A homely-looking man, wearing a coat green with age, chanced to overtake her. In spite of old clothes, he looked very respectable, she thought, and thinking he might be glad of a few pence, she offered him the job. He picked up the little box and walked with her, but on reaching the destination he set it down on the doorstep, and hurried away without waiting to be paid. She mentioned the fact to her mistress, and from her description of the man. the lady's amused suspicions were aroused; but she said nothing until a few days later, when the Duke of Norfolk happened to pass the house. "That's the man that carried my box." the girl said promptly, about to rush out forthwith and pay him, for the duke was wearing the identical green garment. Her confusion may be imagined on hearing that the erstwhile porter was the first peer of England."

Apropos of the pleasant custom recently mentioned in M.A.P. in Paris, of President Lonbet's sharing his cigars with his gamekeeper, Driault, when out shooting at Rambouillet, a correspondent sends the following : —"It is well known that the Duke of York includes golf among his pet pastimes. When on the golf links at Anglesey, near Gosport, he usually employs one particular lad as caddie. This boy, besides the honour of having tramped many a mile in the Duke's company, can also lay claim to the distinction of having shared a' unique lunch with his future king. The incident occurred on the abovementioned links, when Duke and caddie paused for a little wellearned refreshment. The Duke, after mopping his brow, pulled a flash from his pocket and offered the youngster a drink. The boy declined the offer with thanks, saying that he was a teetotaler. The Duke warmly commended the lad tor this, and thereupon offered him something more substantial—a- ham sandwich. The caddie took it eagerly, the Duke took another, and the ' simple meal was shared by the oddly-as-sorted pair with that healthy hunger which is the common heritage of prince and pauper alike."

The romantic stories of the South African War—the true ones at any rate — now coming in. Here is one of the best. A. trooper of good family was stricken by fever and lay in hospital for weeks. When lie was recovering erysipelas set in. He had gone to the war a smooth-faced youth. Like the rest of the Army he had been compelled by the necessities of campaigning to let the hair grow on his face, so that he lay in hospital a well-bearded, moustached here. When he was shaven he looked bir real self, and the nurse who had been attending to him recognised him as an old friend. "he rough warrior's beard had so completely disguised him that even his name on bhe hospital card had not suggested his identity. The nurse immediately sent a telegram to ais family, which for compactness and -oinpleteness should become celebrated. Merely giving his name,, it read thus: — ,r Entei*i«". Erysilepas. Convalescent." The Message came with joy to the family. They had only heard that he was ill, and had been waiting weary weeks for further news. Whether there is a sequel to the romance is not known, but the nurse's concise telegram reminds one of the presence of mind shown by a country girl who answered c celebrated Judge so well that he afterwards married her. The judge met the girl carrying -jggs t- market. He asked her. pointing to a sh-'ct of water, ' How deep is the pond and how much are youi eggs?" Without a moment's hesitation the girl replied, " Six feet and nmepence a dozen."- • „.