NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11535, 21 November 1900, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

A contributor to one of the society journals supplies some interesting gossip about Mr. Moberly Bell, the present manager of the London Times. Mr. Bell, he says, is quite unknown to "the man in the street," but in the journalistic world, in society, and in Egypt, where he was born 53 years ago, he is accounted a remarkably able man —one who could go anywhere he chose. With the exception of his schooldays, the first 40 years of his life were spent in Egypt. At the age of 18, his father having been in the fifties and sixties the leading English merchant in Alexandria, Mr. Moberly Bell embarked in Egyptian commerce, and continued to look to trade as the basis of his income until he left the country in 1889. The turning-point of his life, however, was the sending of some valuable information to the Times, off his own bat, anent the now rapidly approaching bankruptcy of the Khedive Ismail. This was about the year 1878, and on the then correspondent of the Times (now Sir John Scott) being appointed to a high judicial post in India, Mr. Moberly Bell was offered, and, of course, accepted, the vacant correspondentship. His father and his elder brother had had it before him, so it was jocularly considered fitting that I the post should be regained " for the family.'' But the wonderful wheel of luck and the re- \ markable qualities of the new journalist quickly caused " the Times' correspondent for Egypt" to become "the cynosure of every eye." . In short, by men who know, | Mr. Moberly Bell is credited with the authorship of the momentous British occupation of Egypt. His telegrams, his letters, and his arguments, before, during, and after the Arabi Rebellion of 1882, secured the attention of Gladstone and Granville, Dufferin, and Northbrook, and they, looking about for a policy and a guide, had the good sense to go for advice to the master-critic of the moment. Needless to say, since the Times is a shrewd and most honourable employer, Mr. Moberly Bells position in Egypt immediately became as confirmed as is that of De Blowitz in Paris. It would have lasted a lifetime had not Pigott foisted the Parnell forgeries on the manager, Macdonald, in 1888—the subsequent scandal and trial shortly robbing Printing House Square of its manager by death. In its dilomna the City Thunderer turned to the giant among its proven servants, and the Egyptnn correspondent was summoned to London to replace Macdonald. Most novices vtuld have shrunk from the responsibility of nanaging the Times, but Moberly Bell worked like a Hercules for months, and soon that shrewd and independent critic, Mr. Labouchere, descended from the august chair of Truth to compliment the Times on raving secured a first-class manager. Other congratulations were legion. In politics, the Times' manager used to be a Liberal. As Jacob wrestled at Peniel, did he not compel Mr. Gladstone to the single territorial conquest of his life? He now styles himself

* liberal Unionist, doubtless -with » strong dash of the . "Imperialist" thrown in. In private life, when not too bored, he is a j brilliant conversationalist and a ready host, j At 98, Portland Place, " the world and his wife" have dined at one time or another,] or have attended some after-dinner crush. | An invitation to dinner from Mr. and Mrs. j Moberly Bell is a desirable thing, and po3-1 sibly Ministers and Ambassadors, peers and | poets, bid their hostess good-bye with the piquant sensation of feeling half-journalists themselves. j

Here is a quite remarkable paragraph { which appeared in the Paris Figaro recently. I The delicious part of it is that it is written ! in all solemnity by the French scribe. It will be found very nearly as entertaining not to say informingm a close translation •as in the memorable original: — It is not without, interest (gravely begins the Figaro man) to inform ourselves, even in little things, about the manners and customs of other nations. From this point of view the electoral campaign which is being pursued" at this moment in England is full of instruction. Do you know what is the popular characteristic of the eloquence of M. Joe Chamberlain? His habit of punctuating his sentences with blows of his fist, made from the shoulder, has caused him to be named the 'boxer-orator.' The comparison pleases the English infinitely. Consequently when, .a few days ago, M. Chamberlain appeared on the platform at Birmingham, his partisans in the meeting hall welcomed him with these cries : ' Give them some, Joe! Hit them !* And the whole speech was interspersed with these exclamations :'Go on ! Twist their screw ! Cave in their ribs!' You would have really thought you were at a boxing match, so much so that one of those present said, enthusiastically : ' Joe is to-day in splendid form.' Everything is sport in England, even politics."

Dr. Parker, while believing that there are more working people in attendance upon Christian public worship than there ever were in England, says that allowing all this, there still remains a question which the Christian Church is bound to consider with practical anxiety. How, then, are the masses to be attracted? I question, he writes, whether they are to be attracted by mere shows, tricks, and shallow novelties. It is a mistake to suppose that any body can successfully offer even the poorest intellectual stuff to the working classes. in their own shrewd way the masses are just as critical as the " classes." The preacher makes' a profound mistake who supposes that he need not specially prepare himself to address either children or plain working people. In the long run the masses are to be attracted (1) by sound common sense, (2) by thorough practical sympathy, (3) and by that close association which is " familiar" without being " vulgar." The great body of the people want a specific and sympathetic message delivered in a sincere and tender tone. Do not invite the masses to listen to guesses, doubts, speculations, and unproved novelties. I must insist upon a doctrine which I have declared times without number to the effect that the doctrine of the Gospel must be preached in the spirit of the Gospel. I have known many an evangelical discourse delivered without a sigh or a tear, or one indication that the soul of the preacher had travelled in lonely paths and companied with Christ in the Garden of Sorrow. lam more and more persuaded that earnestness will win in the long run. Earnestness pre-supposes character, which is the first essential qualification for any great ministry in any sphere of life either at home, or in politics, or in the church. Once give people the impression that yon are merely making a livelihood out of them and they will justly turn away with disgust from any ministry how pretentious or conceited soever. I have long had the impression that the people, or the masses, are the true and final examiners of ministerial qualification. The people may turn away from university degrees or distinctions, from the accessories of birth, from the attractions of wealth, and from the drum-beating and ostentatious claim of mere office, but they will go in increasing numbers after the ministry that seems to have healing in the very hem of its garment. I conclude, therefore, by expressing the hope that the masses are never to be won by anything artificial or spectacular, but are to be attracted, and permanently attracted, by intelligence, manliness, sympathy, and an undoubted regard for their best interests, both in this world and in the next.